National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Geothermal Technologies

Photo of a red-hot pool of molten lava within a broad lava bed and with snow-capped peaks in the distance.

Geothermal energy taps the heat that lies beneath the earth's surface in several ways. We use the geothermal reservoirs of hot water and steam to generate electricity and for direct applications, including aquaculture, crop drying, and district heating.

We also use the constant temperature that exists at very shallow depths for heating and cooling buildings with the energy-efficiency technology of ground-source heat pumps.

Learn more about geothermal energy.

NREL works in partnership with industry, academia, and other research laboratories to research, develop, and demonstrate technologies to advance the use of geothermal energy as a clean, renewable, domestic power source for the United States.