Heat Beneath Our Feet: A New Geothermal Era

SLB and Ormat join forces to expand engineered geothermal, targeting 300 GW of steady U.S. clean energy

31 Oct 2025

A powerful alliance is stirring deep below the surface. Energy technology giant SLB and geothermal pioneer Ormat announced on October 27, 2025, that they’re joining forces to speed the rollout of next-generation enhanced geothermal systems. The shared ambition: turn geothermal from niche to nationwide by unlocking the heat trapped in stubborn rock formations once thought unusable.

SLB will bring its deep expertise in well construction, reservoir modeling, and subsurface technology. Ormat, a longtime leader in geothermal operations, adds its strength in plant design and project delivery. Their first step is a pilot at an existing Ormat facility, a testing ground meant to prove the concept before utilities and data centers scale it up.

Traditional geothermal power depends on rare underground hot spots where heat, water, and porous rock conveniently align. EGS rewrites that rulebook. By engineering artificial reservoirs far beneath the earth’s surface, the technology could unleash up to 300 GW of constant, renewable power, enough to rival the entire U.S. fossil fuel fleet, according to the Department of Energy.

Industry observers see this as a watershed moment. “By integrating subsurface and surface technologies, we’re reducing uncertainty and cost,” said Gavin Rennick, president of New Energy at SLB. Ormat CEO Doron Blachar added that scalable, sustainable energy is now “more critical than ever,” and this partnership could hasten the arrival of commercial EGS.

The path ahead isn’t free of fault lines. Induced seismicity and complex permitting could slow progress. But if the pilot succeeds, it could shorten timelines, attract investors, and redefine geothermal as a reliable pillar of clean power.

After decades on the sidelines, the heat beneath our feet might finally take center stage.