NLR Campus To Host US Department of Energy Geothermal Center of Excellence

New Center Will Address High-Impact Technical Barriers and Serve as Geothermal Industry’s Gateway to the Expertise of the National Laboratories

Sept. 3, 2026 | By Kelly MacGregor | Contact media relations

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On Sept. 3, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office (HGEO) announced the establishment of a Geothermal Center of Excellence on the National Laboratory of the Rockies’ (NLR’s) campus to help advance geothermal energy through collaboration, research, and innovation.

Led by NLR and enabled by the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), the new center at NLR’s South Table Mountain Campus in Golden, Colorado, is strategically located near the areas of greatest geothermal opportunity in the western United States.

“We are excited to partner with NETL and collaborate with our national laboratory colleagues to integrate and focus DOE’s geothermal capabilities and expertise to accelerate the deployment of geothermal energy in the U.S.” said Jud Virden, NLR laboratory director. “The center creates a national hub for efficient collaboration with industry and academia."

The launch event gathered representatives from industry, DOE, and national laboratory leadership to discuss the center’s mission to make measurable progress toward U.S. geothermal power at scale.

In addition to NLR and NETL, expertise from Argonne, Brookhaven, Idaho, Los Alamos, Lawrence Berkeley, Lawrence Livermore, Oak Ridge, Pacific Northwest, and Sandia national laboratories will also support the center.

“America has vast geothermal resources beneath our feet that can deliver reliable, around-the-clock energy and strengthen our energy independence,” said DOE Under Secretary for Energy Kyle Haustveit. “The Geothermal Center of Excellence will harness the world-class science and engineering capabilities of our national laboratories to help unlock those resources, expand American energy production, and deliver more affordable and secure energy for the American people.”

An industry advisory board will provide insight into industry-relevant geothermal research needs, advise on center priorities, and accelerate industry-laboratory partnerships.

“Strengthening connections between the national labs and industry will help ensure research is focused on the most impactful areas for accelerating geothermal energy development,” said Amanda Kolker, NLR geothermal and geosciences laboratory program manager. “We look forward to convening geothermal energy stakeholders and decision makers to advance ambitious goals for geothermal expansion in the United States.”

HGEO established centers of excellence in four areas, including geothermal, to enhance collaboration on key functional areas with industry, other national laboratories, and partners across the federal government and academia.

Learn more about the Geothermal Center of Excellence and geothermal research at NLR. For more information, contact geo.centerofexcellence@nlr.gov.