Enhanced geothermal systems

Fervo Energy Company, Ormat Technologies Inc. and Sage Geosystems™ are active commercial players in enhanced geothermal systems. Fervo is advancing Cape Station; Ormat is developing EGS and hydrothermal projects, while Sage is working on high-pressure geothermal technology. Research and public-sector activity is also visible at the U.S. Department of Energy, China University of Mining and Technology and China University of Petrolum.

Fervo Energy Company and Sage Geosystems™ are notable commercial startups in 2026, while ResFrac Corporation develops fracture-modeling software. Fervo reported first power at Cape Station in September 2026; Sage and Chiyoda agreed to a technical and commercial feasibility study in August 2026. Their work reflects different routes: deploying engineered reservoirs, testing pressure-based systems and improving project-design tools.

China University of Mining and Technology and China University of Petrolum are among the most active research organizations in the 24-month window, with 75 and 76 documents, respectively. China University of Geosciences examines stimulation-induced seismicity. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Stanford University work on fracture activation, flow tests and coupled reservoir models.

Enhanced geothermal systems have $31.3 million in grants across 34 awards since 2020, alongside 18 funding rounds totaling $2.73 billion. Recent rounds include Sage Geosystems™’ $97 million Series B in January 2026 and Fervo Energy Company’s $462 million late-stage round in December 2025. These figures reflect both public grant support and company financing.

The U.S. Department of Energy is a public funder: in September 2026, it selected 21 geothermal projects for more than $99 million, including field-scale testing of enhanced geothermal systems. Ormat Technologies and Fervo Energy also announced selections for DOE awards that month. The available information identifies DOE support but does not provide a complete inventory of national or state programs.

Schlumbeger Technology Corporation and Fervo Energy Company have the largest named patent holdings, with 7 each. Kiverdi Inc. has 4, while Services Petroliers Schlumberger, Sa and Schlumberger Electricité Canada each have 3. The patent holders span geothermal developers and technology organizations working on reservoir stimulation and related methods.

Patent activity declined 54.5% in the latest 12-month comparison with the previous 12 months. The 24-month window contains 48 patents. This contrasts with publication activity, which reached 588 in the last year and grew 3.3%. The patent decline therefore sits alongside continued research output rather than indicating a broad contraction across all activity.

Fervo Energy began exporting electricity from Cape Station in September 2026, and its 396 MW power-purchase agreement with Google was reported that month. Recent research examines multicluster fracture growth, temperature-driven slip, water-rock interaction and coupled reservoir models. In August 2026, Chiyoda and Sage Geosystems agreed to assess the technical and commercial feasibility of high-pressure geothermal technology.

The main approaches include hydraulic fracturing, hydroshear stimulation, thermal stimulation, chemical stimulation and well architecture. Hydraulic fracturing creates or extends fractures using pressurized fluid; hydroshear reactivates existing fractures. Thermal and chemical methods change rock properties through temperature or reactive fluids, while well architecture focuses on connecting the reservoir through well placement and design.

Enhanced geothermal systems are being developed for grid electricity, data center power, district heating and industrial heat. Grid electricity is the largest application in the facts, with 423 documents; data center power has 219, district heating 83 and industrial heat 27. Recent attention to data center power reflects interest in geothermal energy as a source of firm electricity.