Geothermal Workforce Reuse & Firm Energy Infrastructure Model

Overview

Across multiple jurisdictions, geothermal energy is being developed not as a lifestyle-oriented renewable technology, but as hard infrastructure. The common approach is to reuse oil and gas drilling skills, equipment, and regulatory systems to access underground heat or pressure for electricity generation, energy storage, or district heating.

This Geothermal Workforce Reuse & Firm Energy Infrastructure Model is politically durable because it emphasizes reliability, domestic resources, and continuity of industrial employment. Climate benefits exist, but they are treated as secondary outcomes rather than the primary justification.

The model adapts to local conditions. In some regions, geothermal is baseload generation. In others, it functions as long-duration storage or heat supply. What unifies these cases is institutional reuse rather than institutional disruption.

Cross-Jurisdiction Case Studies

1. Texas, USA: Subsurface Energy Storage & Firm Power

Approach: Texas applies oilfield drilling, fracturing, and subsurface modeling to geothermal energy storage and generation.

Key Characteristics:

• Geothermal framed as dispatchable power and storage, not “renewables.”
• Permitting aligned with oil and gas regulatory bodies.
• Workforce continuity prioritized.

Use Case: Replacing or supplementing aging coal plants while supporting rapid load growth from data centers.

2. Utah & Nevada, USA: Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS)

Approach: Enhanced geothermal projects use deep drilling and reservoir stimulation to create artificial geothermal systems.

Key Characteristics:

• Direct transfer of oil-and-gas drilling and completion techniques.
• Power-purchase agreements with utilities anchor commercial viability.
• Geothermal treated as firm generation comparable to gas.

Use Case: Grid-scale electricity in regions with accessible high-temperature rock.

3. Germany: Closed-Loop Geothermal & District Heat

Approach: Germany deploys closed-loop geothermal systems using directional drilling techniques developed in oil and gas.

Key Characteristics:

• Focus on reliability and heat supply, not branding.
• Integration with district heating networks.
• Strong regulatory oversight with industrial safety emphasis.

Use Case: Replacing fossil-based heating in urban and industrial zones.

4. Netherlands: Geothermal Heat as Industrial Infrastructure

Approach: Geothermal systems supply constant heat to greenhouses and are expanding toward urban heat networks.

Key Characteristics:

• Emphasis on drilling risk management and cost control.
• Heat treated as infrastructure, not climate policy.
• Incremental scaling tied to proven performance.

Use Case: Decarbonizing heat-intensive sectors without electrification bottlenecks.

5. United Kingdom: Deep Geothermal Pilot Scaling

Approach: The UK uses government-backed pilots to test deep geothermal electricity and heat production.

Key Characteristics:

• Public risk-sharing during early deployment.
• Strong technical documentation and staged scaling.
• Framed as energy security and regional development.

Use Case: Demonstration projects to unlock private investment.

6. Canada (Alberta): Repurposing Oil and Gas Wells

Approach: Existing and abandoned oil and gas wells are evaluated for geothermal reuse.

Key Characteristics:

• Asset reuse reduces drilling costs.
• Workforce and service companies retained locally.
• Policy focus on remediation and productive reuse.

Use Case: Managing legacy oil infrastructure while extending economic value.

Model Policy Language

The following language is adaptable across jurisdictions with existing oil, gas, or mining regulatory frameworks.

A. Geothermal as Firm Infrastructure

Purpose: To classify geothermal systems based on performance, not ideology.

Section 1.1: Definition
“Geothermal systems include subsurface technologies that provide electricity, thermal energy, or energy storage using heat or pressure from underground formations.”

Section 1.2: Planning Status
“Geothermal systems shall be eligible for capacity, reliability, and resilience planning on equal footing with other firm energy resources.”

B. Regulatory & Workforce Alignment

Purpose: To reduce friction by reusing existing institutions.

Section 2.1: Regulatory Authority
“Geothermal wells may be permitted through existing oil, gas, or mining authorities, provided environmental and water protections are met.”

Section 2.2: Workforce Continuity
“Policies shall encourage reuse of existing drilling equipment, service providers, and skilled labor where technically feasible.”

C. Procurement & Market Access

Purpose: To ensure geothermal competes on performance.

Section 3.1: Utility Eligibility
“Electric and thermal utilities may procure geothermal services to meet firm capacity, storage duration, or heat supply requirements.”

Section 3.2: Technology Neutrality
“Procurement decisions shall prioritize reliability, duration, and cost over technology labels.”

Todo: Implementation Roadmap

Phase 1: Institutional Fit (Months 1–6)

• Regulatory Mapping: Identify existing drilling and subsurface authorities.
• Asset Inventory: Map rigs, wells, and service capacity.
• Use-Case Selection: Determine whether generation, storage, or heat is the priority.

Phase 2: Pilot & Proof (Months 6–24)

• Demonstration Projects: Approve limited-scale geothermal pilots.
• Real Buyers: Anchor pilots to utilities, co-ops, or district heat operators.
• Performance Monitoring: Track output, reliability, and environmental impact.

Phase 3: Scale & Integration (Year 2+)

• Market Access: Allow geothermal to compete with gas, nuclear, and storage.
• Infrastructure Transition: Use geothermal to retire aging fossil assets.
• Local Economic Retention: Prioritize projects that reuse existing industrial bases.

Co-Benefits

• Grid Reliability: Firm power and long-duration storage.
• Economic Stability: Retains skilled industrial employment.
• Infrastructure Efficiency: Reuses existing equipment and institutions.
• Energy Security: Diversifies domestic energy supply.

Official Sources

• New York Times: Not All Drilling in Texas Is About Oil (Dec. 9, 2025)
• Project InnerSpace: Global Geothermal Development
  https://projectinnerspace.org
• International Energy Agency: Geothermal Energy Overview
  https://www.iea.org