Geothermal

Advancing geothermal energy research, development, and deployment through strategic partnerships, interdisciplinary collaboration, faculty and student engagement

Advancing geothermal energy research, development, and deployment through strategic partnerships, interdisciplinary collaboration, faculty, and student engagement

The Geothermal Initiative is a campus wide effort focused on research, engagement, facilitation, collaboration and convening to identify challenges and solutions related to developing geothermal as a resource for the clean energy future in the United States.

There are excellent conventional geothermal resources throughout Colorado, and the western United States, but new frontiers in enhanced geothermal systems is expanding the opportunity for geothermal development.  Many of the skills, technologies and scientific research that now support the oil and gas industry are highly relevant for geothermal. Colorado School of Mines, one of the premier energy universities in the world, is focused on using the university’s historic subsurface and engineering expertise to connect with government, industry and academic leadership to develop an initiative that will support Colorado and the world as we develop geothermal as an important resource in our clean energy future.

 

For more information about the Geothermal Initiative at the Payne Institute for Public Policy, please contact our Geothermal Program Manager Anna Littlefield, at annalittlefield@mines.edu, or our Deputy Director Gregory Clough, at gclough@mines.edu.

NEWS

Google just backed carbon capture tech for data center energy providers. Will other tech giants follow? 12/4/2025

Google just backed carbon capture tech for data center energy providers. Will other tech giants follow?

Payne Institute Low Carbon Technologies Program Manager Anna Littlefield, Accelerated Methane Reduction Director Simon Lomax, and Director Morgan Bazilian write about how the fast-growing electricity demands of data centers could be a game-changer for carbon capture technology in the power sector.  December 4, 2025.

Mines researcher receives Schmidt Family Foundation funding to explore mine water treatment 11/21/2025

Mines researcher receives Schmidt Family Foundation funding to explore mine water treatment

Payne Institute Faculty Fellow Amir Riahi was awarded $100,000 from the Schmidt Family Foundation for a six-month project investigating a new approach to treating the water that collects in mines. Riahi will use the Schmidt funding to study how gentle but powerful vibrations can help biochar capture metals and other contaminants from mine water more effectively.  November 21, 2025. 

Storing carbon underground? There’s less room than we thought, new study suggests 9/3/2025

Storing carbon underground? There’s less room than we thought, new study suggests

Payne Institute Geothermal and CCUS Program Manager Anna Littlefield contributed to this article about how a new estimate suggests carbon storage is a scarce resource to be used wisely.  A study, led by researchers in the U.K., Austria and the U.S., analyzed a wider range of risk factors than conventional assessments of carbon storage potential.   September 3, 2025.  

Five Colorado leaders appointed by Governor to serve on new enterprise for geologic carbon storage 8/27/2025

Five Colorado leaders appointed by Governor to serve on new enterprise for geologic carbon storage

Payne Institute Geothermal and CCUS Program Manager Anna Littlefield has been appointed to the Colorado Energy and Carbon Management Commission (ECMC) Geologic Storage Stewardship Enterprise Board.  Geologic carbon capture and storage (CCS) is a set of technologies and processes designed to minimize or eliminate the release of CO2 emissions into the atmosphere, particularly from industrial emission sources.  August 27, 2025.

Keeping Up with Carbon: Key Changes for 45Q Tax Credits Under “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” and Possible Impacts 8/18/2025

Keeping Up with Carbon: Key Changes for 45Q Tax Credits Under “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” and Possible Impacts

Payne Institute Student Researcher Emma Jones Fredrickson and Payne Institute Geothermal and CCUS Program Manager Anna Littlefield write about how the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA) was signed into law on July 4th of this year, with some regulations aimed at incentivizing carbon capture and storage.  They we aim to provide a clear description of its final form and implications for stakeholders.  August 18, 2025.  

Salty Solutions: Tapping Geothermal Brines for Rare Earth Elements 8/5/2025

Salty Solutions: Tapping Geothermal Brines for Rare Earth Elements

Payne Institute Student Researcher Emma Jones Fredrickson and Payne Institute Low Carbon Energy Technologies Program Manager Anna Littlefield write about how as ever changing policies strain trade relationships between the U.S. and China, rare earth elements (REEs) provide China with leverage in negotiations, adding renewed urgency to seek alternative, domestic sources of these high-value materials.  REE mining is accompanied by environmental contamination risks and potential impacts to human health, necessitating new solutions for sustainable mining practices.  August 5, 2025.

Industry Anticipates Geothermal Energy Growth Burst in the US 3/6/2025

Industry Anticipates Geothermal Energy Growth Burst in the US

Payne Institute Director Morgan Bazilian contributed to this article about how the US is hoping to take a cue from the nation of Iceland, which powers most of its electrical grid with geothermal energy, proponents say they expect a U.S. rampup as projects receive closer attention from the fossil-fuel sector, investors and the government.  March 6, 2025.

With Demand Growth Across US, Geothermal is Poised for its Moment 2/25/2025

With Demand Growth Across US, Geothermal is Poised for its Moment

Payne Institute Director Morgan Bazilian contributes to this article about how high-tech companies are looking for 24/7, carbon-free electricity to power their massive artificial intelligence data centers, and the “enhanced” geothermal systems developed by companies are increasingly seen as an essential part of the portfolio of resources that will be needed.  February 25, 2025.  

The Colorado Geothermal Frontier

The Colorado Geothermal Frontier

Payne Institute Program Manager Anna Littlefield and CSM PhD Candidate Edikan Udofia write about how in Chaffee County Colorado, residents and visitors alike have long taken advantage of the natural hot springs generated by thermal anomalies deep underground.  Soon, this same heat may be tapped to provide energy for the local community. August 20, 2024.

Gov. Polis, as Chair of the Bipartisan Western Governors Association, Outlines Geothermal Opportunities for Colorado & West 7/26/2022

Gov. Polis, as Chair of the Bipartisan Western Governors Association, Outlines Geothermal Opportunities for Colorado & West

Payne Institute Director Morgan Bazilian is featured on this announcement by Colorado Governor Jared Polis on his “Heat Beneath our Feet” initiative with the 2023 Western Governors’ Association (WGA). HBOF is a bold initiative that will jump-start the development of geothermal energy generation. HBOF and the exploration of geothermal energy generation is an innovative approach to expanding clean energy resources, saving people money, and promoting bipartisan partnership with other Western States. July 26, 2022.

Synergies Between Carbon Capture, Utilization and Sequestration and Geothermal Power in Sedimentary Basins 6/7/2022

Synergies Between Carbon Capture, Utilization and Sequestration and Geothermal Power in Sedimentary Basins

Payne Institute CCUS Program Manager Anna Littlefield and Eric Stautberg write about how to achieve a rapid and effective energy transition, society will need to widely deploy both existing and emerging technologies and tools. Mitigating the emissions of greenhouse gases while maintaining the world’s growing demands for energy will require these to deployed at great pace and scale. Natural synergies exist between two such technologies: carbon capture utilization and sequestration (CCUS) projects and geothermal power generation from hot sedimentary aquifers. The overlapping technical and operational components of these projects underline an opportunity for cost savings and accelerated deployment.  June 7, 2022.

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