Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0002227
The Geothermal Wells of Opportunity (WOO) funding opportunity (DE-FOA-0002227) is a U.S. Department of Energy program run through EERE's Geothermal Technologies Office that aims to speed up real-world testing of enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) technologies by using existing "idle" wells. Instead of requiring teams to drill brand-new wells, the program looks for well owners and operators who already have underused or non-producing wells and are willing to partner with DOE to turn those wells into testbeds for in-situ technology demonstrations. The core idea is to move EGS concepts out of the lab and into the field, because the prototyping and methodology-testing stage is where costs and risks spike and where private actors are often hesitant to invest. Under this FOA, the federal government helps absorb those field-testing risks to accelerate learning and deployment.
The opportunity is structured around two topic areas, each aimed at a different kind of field validation. Topic Area 1, called "Pilot (FORGE Test Wells)," is focused on supporting early-stage testing tied closely to DOE's FORGE initiative (the Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy). The goal here is to identify promising idle wells and then do the practical work needed to make them usable for testing, such as selecting candidate wells, preparing them for operations, completing required permitting, and repairing wells as needed. These Pilot wells are intended to enable higher-risk experimentation with FORGE-relevant tools, approaches, and methodologies either before teams test in the dedicated FORGE Utah wells or as an alternative pathway when using FORGE wells is not feasible. In practice, this topic area is about creating additional, real-world places where FORGE-aligned EGS concepts can be tried, refined, and de-risked.
Topic Area 2, called "Amplify (EGS Near-Field RD&D)," is aimed at nearer-term field demonstrations that can lead to tangible production outcomes. It targets wells in or near existing hydrothermal geothermal fields that are currently low-permeability or otherwise unproductive, with the intent of applying EGS techniques to improve performance and ultimately support new power production. The broader purpose is to show that near-field EGS can be deployed now, not just in theory, and that wells that are currently considered marginal assets can be upgraded into productive resources. By culminating in new generation, this topic area also emphasizes economic viability: it is designed to strengthen existing geothermal operations and provide a practical example of how EGS methods can expand the usable geothermal resource base.
From an applicant and administrative standpoint, the FOA is offered by the Department of Energy's Golden Field Office and is categorized as a discretionary energy funding opportunity. The funding instruments include cooperative agreements and grants, and eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning a wide range of entity types can apply as long as they meet any specific eligibility clarifications in the FOA text. Applications were required to be submitted through EERE Exchange (https://eere-exchange.energy.gov), which is DOE EERE's online application portal. The posting lists an award ceiling of $2,500,000, an expectation of about 28 awards, a creation date of February 4, 2020, and an original closing date of April 6, 2020. The CFDA number associated with the opportunity is 81.087.
Overall, WOO is designed to make field experimentation with EGS more accessible and faster by leveraging existing idle wells and pairing industry well owners/operators with DOE support. The Pilot track broadens and strengthens the FORGE ecosystem by providing additional wells for higher-risk testing and method development, while the Amplify track pushes toward near-term demonstration and added geothermal power production by turning underperforming wells near existing fields into productive assets using EGS techniques.Apply for DE FOA 0002227
- The Department of Energy, Golden Field Office in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Geothermal Wells of Opportunity (WOO)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.087.
- This funding opportunity was created on Feb 04, 2020.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 06, 2020 To apply to this FOA, applicants must register with and submit application materials through EERE Exchange at https://eere-Exchange.energy.gov, EERE#8217s online application portal.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $2,500,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 28 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.
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Geothermal Wells of Opportunity (WOO) Funding Opportunity (DE-FOA-0002227) - FAQs
What is the Geothermal Wells of Opportunity (WOO) funding opportunity?
The Geothermal Wells of Opportunity (WOO) funding opportunity (DE-FOA-0002227) is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) program run through EERE's Geothermal Technologies Office. It is designed to speed up real-world testing of enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) technologies by using existing "idle" or underused wells as field testbeds, instead of requiring teams to drill brand-new wells.
What is the main goal of WOO?
The main goal is to move EGS concepts out of the lab and into the field by enabling in-situ technology demonstrations. The program targets the prototyping and methodology-testing stage, where costs and risks are higher and private investment is often harder to secure, and uses federal support to help absorb field-testing risk.
Why does WOO focus on existing idle wells instead of drilling new wells?
WOO focuses on existing idle or non-producing wells to reduce the need for new drilling and to accelerate field testing. By repurposing existing wells, the program aims to make real-world EGS experimentation more accessible and faster to execute.
What kinds of wells are relevant to WOO?
WOO is centered on underused, idle, or non-producing wells owned or operated by parties willing to partner with DOE to convert those wells into testbeds for in-situ EGS technology demonstrations.
What does DOE mean by using wells as "testbeds"?
In this context, a testbed is a real-world well site where EGS tools, approaches, and methodologies can be tested and validated in the subsurface (in situ), rather than in laboratory conditions.
How is the WOO opportunity structured?
The opportunity is structured around two topic areas, each aimed at a different type of field validation: Topic Area 1 (Pilot) and Topic Area 2 (Amplify).
What is Topic Area 1: "Pilot (FORGE Test Wells)"?
Topic Area 1, "Pilot (FORGE Test Wells)," supports early-stage testing tied closely to DOE's FORGE initiative (Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy). It focuses on identifying promising idle wells and doing the practical work needed to make them usable for testing.
What activities are included in the Pilot topic area?
Based on the description provided, Pilot work can include selecting candidate wells, preparing wells for operations, completing required permitting, and repairing wells as needed so they can be used for testing FORGE-relevant EGS tools, approaches, and methodologies.
How does the Pilot topic area relate to FORGE?
The Pilot topic area is designed to enable higher-risk experimentation with FORGE-relevant tools, approaches, and methodologies either before teams test in the dedicated FORGE Utah wells or as an alternative pathway when using FORGE wells is not feasible.
What is the purpose of creating Pilot wells outside the dedicated FORGE wells?
The purpose is to create additional real-world locations where FORGE-aligned EGS concepts can be tried, refined, and de-risked, broadening and strengthening the broader FORGE ecosystem.
What is Topic Area 2: "Amplify (EGS Near-Field RD&D)"?
Topic Area 2, "Amplify (EGS Near-Field RD&D)," targets nearer-term field demonstrations intended to lead to tangible production outcomes. It focuses on applying EGS techniques to wells in or near existing hydrothermal geothermal fields that are currently low-permeability or otherwise unproductive.
What is the intended outcome of the Amplify topic area?
The intent is to improve well performance using EGS methods and ultimately support new power production. This topic area emphasizes near-term deployability and economic viability by demonstrating that marginal or underperforming wells can potentially be upgraded into productive resources.
What does "near-field" mean in the Amplify topic area?
Based on the provided description, "near-field" refers to wells in or near existing hydrothermal geothermal fields, where EGS techniques would be applied to improve currently unproductive or low-permeability wells.
How does WOO help address risk in geothermal technology development?
WOO is designed to help absorb field-testing risks during the prototyping and methodology-testing stage, which is described as the point where costs and risks spike and where private actors are often hesitant to invest.
Which DOE office administers this funding opportunity?
The funding opportunity is offered by the Department of Energy's Golden Field Office.
Which DOE program office is it associated with?
It is run through EERE's Geothermal Technologies Office.
What type of funding opportunity is this?
The posting categorizes it as a discretionary energy funding opportunity.
What funding instruments are used under this FOA?
The listed funding instruments include cooperative agreements and grants.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning a wide range of entity types may apply, as long as they meet any specific eligibility clarifications contained in the FOA text.
Where were applications submitted?
Applications were required to be submitted through EERE Exchange, DOE EERE's online application portal, at https://eere-exchange.energy.gov.
What is the FOA number for this opportunity?
The FOA is identified as DE-FOA-0002227.
What is the CFDA number associated with WOO?
The CFDA number associated with the opportunity is 81.087.
What is the award ceiling listed for this opportunity?
The posting lists an award ceiling of $2,500,000.
How many awards were expected?
The posting states an expectation of about 28 awards.
When was the opportunity created and when did it close?
The creation date is listed as February 4, 2020, and the original closing date is listed as April 6, 2020.
What kinds of partnerships does WOO encourage?
WOO is framed around pairing industry well owners/operators who have idle or underused wells with DOE support to convert those wells into test locations for in-situ EGS demonstrations.
How do the two topic areas differ at a high level?
Topic Area 1 (Pilot) focuses on early-stage, higher-risk testing aligned with FORGE and includes steps like selecting, preparing, permitting, and repairing idle wells for experimentation. Topic Area 2 (Amplify) focuses on nearer-term demonstrations near existing hydrothermal fields with the goal of improving unproductive wells and culminating in new power production.
What is the overall value proposition of WOO for geothermal development?
Overall, WOO aims to accelerate learning and deployment of EGS by leveraging existing idle wells to reduce barriers to field experimentation. It supports both earlier-stage method development (Pilot/FORGE-aligned testing) and near-term performance improvement with potential new generation (Amplify/near-field RD&D).
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