Geothermal energy is on the cusp of a renaissance in the United States. But outdated and piecemeal rules could delay development of the around-the-clock, carbon-free energy source.
Next-generation geothermal is something of a golden child, backed by everyone from climate advocates to leaders in the drilling-obsessed Trump administration. Investors are pouring billions of dollars into the sector. A huge, first-of-a-kind project in Utah will start delivering power this fall, marking a milestone for this new wave of geothermal technologies and fueling hopes that the energy source can help the U.S. keep pace with skyrocketing demand.
But companies won't be able to quickly build dozens more of these power plants without updated regulations and standards for developing geothermal projects, industry insiders and experts say.
