Last week, the International Energy Agency (IEA) released its State of Energy Innovation 2026 report – a comprehensive assessment of the technologies and investments shaping the future of global energy – with superhot rock geothermal energy (SHR) featuring throughout its findings on geothermal. The report's recognition of SHR signals growing global consensus around the technology’s potential to shape how the world accesses clean, firm power.
"The IEA's recognition of superhot rock geothermal energy is a significant and welcome moment and reflects growing consensus that this technology deserves serious global attention," said Terra Rogers, Director for Superhot Rock Energy at Clean Air Task Force. "SHR can deliver always-on, carbon-free power at a scale the world urgently needs-- tapping just 1 % of global resources could supply more than eight times current global electricity generation. That kind of potential demands exactly this kind of attention and coordination, and we commend our colleagues at IEA for recognizing it."
Among the report's key SHR highlights:
- U.S. start-up Mazama Energy set a new record for Enhanced Geothermal Systems temperature (331 °C in superhot conditions) at its Newberry, Oregon site, backed by USD 20 million in US government funding, with plans to reach 400 °C and 15 MW of output in 2026.
- ARPA-E launched a dedicated superhot rock program, part of a broader USD 215 million package of geothermal research initiatives.
- New Zealand and Iceland signed a cooperation agreement on superhot and supercritical geothermal systems, reflecting accelerating cross-border collaboration on SHR.
CATF has played a leading role in elevating SHR's potential globally and advocating for policies and technical collaborations that raise the temperature ceiling of next-generation geothermal including: engaging directly with the IEA to propose and lead an international collaboration that connects leading SHR projects across countries, publishing foundational research through our Bridging the Gaps series to identify the most critical barriers to commercialization, and releasing A Technology Road Map for Next-Generation Geothermal – a first-of-its-kind framework linking R&D, demonstration, and early commercial deployment. CATF also helped make the case for ARPA-E's new dedicated SHR research program and has worked to keep next-generation geothermal firmly on the agenda in Europe, where "superhot rock" now appears explicitly in EU working documents.
"The world needs clean, firm power at scale, and superhot rock geothermal stands out as a solution poised to deliver it," Rogers added. "We look forward to continuing to work with the IEA, researchers, and partners across the globe to make it a reality.”
What is Superhot Rock Geothermal?
Superhot rock geothermal is a form of next-generation geothermal energy that uses cutting-edge deep drilling technologies to access rock at temperatures exceeding 400 °C. Water is injected deep into the earth, then returned to the surface to drive power generators, producing five to ten times the energy of a typical commercial geothermal well today, with a land-use footprint far smaller than most other energy sources.
This potential is well understood, even if the technology is still maturing. R&D projects around the world are already drilling into superhot rock and developing techniques to operate in these conditions. Preliminary analysis for CATF suggests that if this energy can be reliably extracted at reasonable cost, superhot rock could compete with natural gas at $20-35 per megawatt hour.