From Hot Rocks to Clean Power: Roland Horne on the Future of Geothermal

From Hot Rocks to Clean Power: Roland Horne on the Future of Geothermal

If it seems like you're hearing a lot more about geothermal energy lately, that's because this clean, firm energy source is at a technological turning point.

With roots in the 1970s, enhanced geothermal systems aren't exactly new. But they're finally hitting paydirt — or rather, steam — thanks to improved drilling techniques borrowed from the fracking boom.

These advances have made geothermal energy production potentially viable outside of the Western states in the US, where it's long been a small but steady source of power.

So what is the state of geothermal energy and what's behind the current surge in innovation? How are falling costs and sustained policy support helping geothermal producers gain more traction right now? And what are the next technical frontiers that could lead to even more productive geothermal wells?

This week, Bill Loveless speaks to Roland Horne about the state of geothermal technology, particularly enhanced geothermal systems.

Roland is the Thomas Davies Barrow professor of earth sciences, professor of energy science and engineering, and director of the geothermal program at Stanford University. He's also a senior fellow at Stanford's Precourt Institute for Energy. Over his career, he has made significant technical contributions to the field of geothermal energy production

Credits: Hosted by Jason Bordoff and Bill Loveless. Produced by Mary Catherine O'Connor, Caroline Pitman, and Kyu Lee. Engineering by Gregory Vilfranc.

Episoder(100)

Iran Conflict Brief: What It Will Take to Open Up the Strait of Hormuz

Iran Conflict Brief: What It Will Take to Open Up the Strait of Hormuz

In energy markets, all eyes are on the Strait of Hormuz. As of March 11, 2026, this vital passage is effectively closed to tanker traffic, stranding almost a fifth of world supplies of crude oil, oil ...

11 Mar 26min

New Rapid Response Series: The Iran Conflict Brief

New Rapid Response Series: The Iran Conflict Brief

The conflict in the Middle East is evolving with incredible speed, creating a landscape where the complexities of understanding both immediate and long-term outcomes have never been greater. W​e'll s...

11 Mar 1min

How the Iran Conflict Is Reshaping Russia and China's Energy Security

How the Iran Conflict Is Reshaping Russia and China's Energy Security

Since the US-Israeli bombing campaign began in Iran, energy markets around the world have been on edge as the conflict threatens immediate and long-term energy supplies. We've seen major disruptions t...

10 Mar 59min

The Widening Middle East Conflict and Its Impact on Energy

The Widening Middle East Conflict and Its Impact on Energy

On February 28, the United States and Israel launched a campaign against Iran targeting military infrastructure and the regime's core leadership. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several seni...

3 Mar 55min

Supreme Court's Tariff Ruling: What It Means for Energy

Supreme Court's Tariff Ruling: What It Means for Energy

President Trump has aggressively used tariffs as an economic tool, but a US Supreme Court decision on Friday struck down his sweeping tariffs, bringing new uncertainty. The court, in a 6-to-3 decision...

24 Feb 50min

Alex Fitzsimmons on the DOE's 'Energy Dominance' Agenda

Alex Fitzsimmons on the DOE's 'Energy Dominance' Agenda

Under the second Trump administration, the US Department of Energy significantly shifted its priorities to align with its "energy dominance" agenda. But one significant point of continuity with the Bi...

17 Feb 54min

Laura Holgate on the Promise and Perils of Nuclear Innovation

Laura Holgate on the Promise and Perils of Nuclear Innovation

The Trump administration has prioritized nuclear energy expansion, aiming to increase US nuclear capacity fourfold by 2050. This nuclear energy resurgence in the US is a rare issue with bipartisan sup...

10 Feb 51min

Jigar Shah Wants to Depoliticize Energy

Jigar Shah Wants to Depoliticize Energy

As political support for clean energy has waxed and waned over the past twenty years, so has the government's financial backing. In the 2010s, critics pointed to the failed solar startup Solyndra, whi...

3 Feb 1h 2min

Populært innen Business og økonomi

lydartikler-fra-aftenposten
stopp-verden
dine-penger-pengeradet
rss-penger-polser-og-politikk
e24-podden
rss-borsmorgen-okonominyhetene
pengesnakk
pengepodden-2
tid-er-penger-en-podcast-med-peter-warren
utbytte
livet-pa-veien-med-jan-erik-larssen
rss-markedspuls-2
liberal-halvtime
finansredaksjonen
morgenkaffen-med-finansavisen
lederpodden
rss-politisk-preik
rss-pa-konto
okonomiamatorene
rss-investering-gjort-enkelt