Unlocking Next-Generation Geothermal Heat for Industry

This report explores how next-generation geothermal technologies can provide clean, reliable heat to slash emissions across the industrial sector.

Industrial facilities produce the goods and materials that underpin modern life. But the sector is also a major polluter, accounting for 23% of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. Most of these emissions come from burning fossil fuels to generate heat, an essential input for many manufacturing processes. Yet, there is an abundant, zero-emissions source of heat right beneath our feet: geothermal energy.

Conventional geothermal systems rely on rare hydrothermal reservoirs, but emerging next-generation geothermal technologies can harness heat from hot rock almost anywhere. With recent advances in deep drilling, directional boring, and wellfield design, these systems are increasingly cost-competitive and ready to deploy. Next-generation geothermal systems offer several advantages for industry: around-the-clock heat, near-zero emissions, low and predictable operating costs, and heat that does not rely on natural gas or large amounts of electricity.