Assessing Energy Resources
Geothermal Energy
Find out about our research and assessments of geothermal energy resources
Information about geologic energy resources is needed to sustain our modern world, and to plan for a secure and sustainable energy future. The Energy Resources Program studies the full life cycle of a broad range of geologic energy resources.
"Can emerging geologic resources help us meet future energy demands? How much undiscovered oil and gas underlies federal lands? What is the potential for geothermal or geologic hydrogen resources in my state?"
Decision makers face complicated choices about where and how to develop energy resources. As the Energy Resources Program, we provide information about (a) the location, quantities, and characteristics of geologic energy resources and (b) how their development might impact other natural resources.
This information helps inform strategies to bolster the Nation's energy security and support the co-management of energy and other natural resources, especially on Federal lands.
What are geologic energy resources?
There are many ways of using the Earth’s geologic resources to produce energy. As technology and geologic knowledge have advanced, more geologic energy resources have become accessible.
Some commonly used geologic energy resources include oil, gas, coal, uranium and geothermal heat. The Energy Resources Program studies these, as well as emerging geologic energy resources that are not yet used at a commercial scale like geologic hydrogen gas and gas hydrates. The capacity of the Earth to store energy for future use in the form of heat or water in underground rocks is also a geologic energy resource.
Energy resource assessments and why we do them
Resource assessments are estimates of the locations and quantities of undiscovered geologic energy resources. We are the Nation’s primary provider of publicly available assessments of geologic energy resources, including national and global assessments of oil and gas.
Energy resource assessments are built on foundational research; we study key geologic processes that result in energy resources to better predict where undiscovered resources might be. During the assessment process, scientists combine this knowledge with information about known resources and geophysical, geochemical and geologic data to estimate the quantity and locations of undiscovered resources.
These resource assessments are widely used by a variety of stakeholders including local, State, and Federal governments, land resource managers, and the public. They inform the investment of billions of dollars each year, inform strategic trade decisions, and shape emerging technologies.
Supporting holistic decision-making: a full life cycle and multi-resource approach
We also deliver science to understand the impacts and tradeoffs associated with energy resource development. For instance, water is required to develop oil and gas resources, legacy energy infrastructure can pose a threat to water quality, and wastewater from energy production may need to be stored or treated.
Understanding how the development of geologic energy resources may impact other natural resources at each stage of the life cycle allows decision makers to efficiently co-manage important natural resources.
Our research also helps highlight avenues for more efficient use of natural resources. For instance, minerals like lithium can be extracted from energy waste streams. In other locations, the ability to store energy in underground rocks could increase the efficiency of energy production from wind turbines and solar panels. By looking across resources and along the entire life span of these resources, we highlight these opportunities.