New study presents updated geothermal drilling cost curves
Mechanical engineer Melanie Schneider of Sandia National Laboratories holds a polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) drill bit. After decades of research, PDC bits have only recently become practical for geothermal well drilling. (Photo: Craig Fritz / Sandia National Laboratories)
A study presented by Dayo Akindipe and Erik Witter from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) at the 50th Stanford Geothermal Workshop held in February 2025 provides an updated drilling cost curve based on recently reported drilling results by Utah FORGE, Fervo Energy, and Geysers Power Company.