Superhot Rock Holds the Energy of the Future

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Superhot Rock Holds the Energy of the Future

Move over, solar and wind. Thanks to new technologies, a “geothermal renaissance” is propelling green energy further than ever before.

By:<br>Peter Yeung

May 21, 2026 6 min read

Superhot Rock Holds the Energy of the Future

Move over, solar and wind. Thanks to new technologies, a “geothermal renaissance” is propelling green energy further than ever before.

By:<br>Peter Yeung

May 21, 2026 6 min read

Climate + Environment

Courtesy of Mazama Energy

This story has been co-published by Reasons to be Cheerful and the Outrider Foundation.

The Newberry Volcano in central Oregon is set among a ravishing landscape of ancient lava flows, lakes and pine forests. Every year droves of tourists come to admire the geological phenomenon, which was formed over 600,000 years ago.

But this region, in the Pacific Northwest, is also on the verge of becoming a major player in the nation’s green energy transition: just under two miles underground here lies a hot new sustainable energy source — powered by the Earth’s heat.

“Superhot rock is everywhere, but in Newberry it is very shallow,” says Pete Lumley, director of communications at Mazama Energy, a startup that has begun developing cutting-edge geothermal projects in Oregon that are harnessing the potent heat.

Mazama Energy is developing cutting-edge geothermal projects in Oregon. Courtesy of Mazama Energy<br>While geothermal — using natural subterranean heat to produce energy — has been around for decades, recent advances in technology mean that its potential output is skyrocketing while it is becoming ever-more affordable for consumers.

Mazama’s approach involves injecting water at very high pressure into rocks, which in Newberry are located close to the surface relative to comparable drilling projects and whose temperatures range from 300 to 400 degrees Celsius. Under these hotter conditions, the water becomes what’s known as “supercritical” — a state combining the properties of a liquid and a gas — and is then sent through turbines to generate energy. The company says their method, which is possible thanks to cooling systems that allow drills to be used in much hotter temperatures than previously, produces an energy yield that is five to 10 times greater than that of conventional geothermal power plants, all while using 75 percent less water and requiring 80 percent fewer wells to be drilled.

“We are calling this era the geothermal renaissance,” adds Lumley.

Courtesy of Mazama

Before Mazama began developing projects around Central Oregon, the geothermal activity in the area surrounding the massive Newberry Volcano had been studied for decades.

In the race towards decarbonization, solar panels and wind turbines often capture the spotlight. Yet geothermal, which can be used for heating as well as electricity generation, could be a powerful, reliable hero of the world’s clean energy transition. According to the International Energy Agency, the global energy authority, with continued technology improvements and reductions in project costs, geothermal could cover as much as 15 percent of the growth in global electricity demand between 2024 and 2050. It estimates worldwide geothermal capacity could reach 800 gigawatts by then, with an output of almost 6,000 terawatt-hours per year, which is the equivalent of the combined electricity demand of the U.S. and India today.

“It is really a breakthrough development happening in the U.S., it is the frontier of geothermal,” says Hannes Hofmann, a professor and geothermal specialist at the Technical University Berlin in Germany.

The U.S. currently leads the world with 3.9 GW of installed geothermal capacity, nearly a quarter of global output.

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“They can drill faster than we thought possible, and superhot rock gives a much higher output, making it much more affordable,” adds Hofmann.

Part of the leap forward has also been enabled by the emergence of horizontal drilling, a practice first developed by the shale and gas industry. It allows multiple wells to be used from a single drill site and facilitates access to hard-to-reach areas.

Roland Horne, a professor of energy science and engineering in the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, adds that the horizontal well method has proven a “game changer” for geothermal that has allowed “enormous” reductions in cost.

At its pilot site last year, Mazama reached 629 degrees Fahrenheit in a geothermal well. Courtesy of Mazama Energy<br>Mazama is using that technology to target higher temperatures. At its pilot site last year, for example, the company reached a 629 degrees Fahrenheit (331 degrees Celsius) temperature in a geothermal well, claiming it to be the world’s hottest geothermal system ever. This year Mazama will complete a further...