R&D Opportunities

Utah FORGE is an international field laboratory managed by the University of Utah for developing the technologies required for the creation, sustainability and monitoring of Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS) reservoirs. It has been established to provide a controlled environment where researchers in the field can develop, test, and optimize EGS technologies. FORGE’s mission is to enable cutting-edge research, drilling, and technology testing, underpinned by a comprehensive instrumentation and characterization effort and open data policy.

The laboratory functions as a dedicated site for technical interaction and public education to support the widespread adoption of EGS energy technology. Collaboration and involvement of scientists and engineers of all affiliations is sought to achieve the most effective progress.

Through this project, DOE endeavors to facilitate and spur transformative EGS research across the geothermal community, with Utah FORGE at the center, culminating in a set of rigorous and reproducible EGS technical solutions and a pathway to commercial EGS development.
The desired outcomes of the Utah FORGE initiative are to:

• Gain fundamental understanding of key mechanisms controlling fracture generation, fluid flow, heat transfer, and sustainability of EGS reservoirs
• Allow the research community to develop, test, and improve EGS technologies
• Enable rapid dissemination of technical data to the research community, developers, and other stakeholders
• Enable a pathway towards a rigorous and reproducible EGS development approach
• Reduce uncertainty and risk for commercial development.