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Exploring Innovations at the 29th Congressional Renewable Energy EXPO

The 29th Congressional Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency EXPO and Policy Forum hosted by EESI featured six panels.
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The 29th Congressional Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency EXPO and Policy Forum took place on June 24, 2026. Organized by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI), the event was co-hosted by the House and Senate Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (REEE) Caucuses. The forum included six panels, with a focus on the topic of Innovating Next-Generation Energy Systems.

Key Developments

 

  • Next-generation geothermal projects aim to overcome the dependency on specific reservoirs by creating engineered reservoirs, which could broaden the geographic viability and scalability of geothermal energy.

  • In regions like the western United States, where shallow hot rock is prevalent, geothermal drilling is relatively straightforward. However, millimeter wave drill technology is now enabling deeper drilling, thus expanding geothermal energy potential eastward.

  • The demand for geothermal energy is driven largely by hyperscale data centers and other significant clean energy consumers. According to a 2025 market report by the National Laboratory of the Rockies, 1.6 gigawatts (GW) of new geothermal energy have been contracted since 2021, adding to an existing capacity of 4 GW.

  • Federal funding has played a crucial role in advancing geothermal research and development, which remains essential for future growth.

 

Jeff Crater, Head of Government Relations, Quaise Energy

  • Geothermal energy is categorized into shallow systems for heating and cooling and deep systems for large-scale power generation.

  • To make deep geothermal viable, Quaise Energy employs millimeter wave drill technology from MIT’s Plasma Science Fusion Lab, which is more robust than traditional drilling tools.

  • This technology uses a microwave beam to pulverize rock into dust while drilling into the Earth, and the dust, heated to about 400 degrees Celsius, is extracted with air.

  • Supported by a $5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy’s ARPA-E, the technology has attracted investments and been applied practically at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

  • Projects such as the one initiated in Central Oregon by Quaise Energy could generate up to 50 megawatts of power, with plans for expansion to achieve a total of 250 megawatts.

 

Katrina McLaughlin, Clean Energy Manager, World Resources Institute (WRI)

  • Geothermal energy currently constitutes less than 1% of the U.S. electricity mix, with California and Nevada producing over 90% of it.

  • Conventional geothermal sites require heat, fluid, and permeability. Advances in technology are working towards creating artificial reservoirs to make geothermal energy more predictable and scalable.

  • Technological innovations, alongside policy measures at the state and federal levels, are propelling the geothermal sector forward.

  • Market demand, particularly from hyperscale data centers, is a significant factor in the growth of geothermal energy, as indicated by the National Lab of the Rockies assessment.

  • Fervo Energy’s upcoming project in Cape Station, Utah, is set to provide 500 megawatts of geothermal energy to utilities in southern California.

 

Compiled by Megan Davies and edited for clarity and length. This is not a transcript.

 

2026 Clean Energy EXPO Policy Forum

Panel 1    Lowering Household Energy Bills
Panel 2    Managing Data Center Energy Demand
Panel 3    Planning for a Reliable Clean Energy Future
Panel 4    Innovating Next-Generation Energy Systems
Panel 5    Improving Building Resilience and Efficiency
Panel 6    Building Reliable and Resilient Energy Systems

Photos

Original Story at www.eesi.org

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