Call for a “Bold New Chapter in American Energy”

In a powerful op-ed for the New York Post, former Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Chair Neil Chatterjee makes the case for a bold new chapter in American energy: a full-speed push into geothermal power. Drawing parallels to the shale revolution, Chatterjee argues that geothermal—fueled by American innovation and directional drilling—has the potential to transform the global energy landscape, and the U.S. must lead the charge.

Geothermal energy taps the intense heat beneath our feet to generate electricity, and thanks to advances in drilling and hydraulic fracturing, we can now access deep, hot rock formations across the country. With a 90% capacity factor, geothermal can deliver clean, reliable power 24/7—unlike intermittent sources like wind and solar. It’s already being deployed in residential projects across New York City and at massive utility-scale sites like Fervo Energy’s 500 MW Cape Station in Utah.

Lawmakers, developers, and energy experts are uniting behind this momentum. Even Trump’s newly appointed energy secretary, Chris Wright, is championing geothermal as a core element of American energy dominance. And with growing demand from AI-powered data centers and national security concerns about reliance on China for energy tech, geothermal offers a strategic advantage.

Chatterjee’s message is clear: if the U.S. leverages its oil and gas expertise to scale geothermal now, it won’t just meet clean energy goals—it will lead a new global market. But if America hesitates, it risks falling behind. As he puts it, “It’s time to unleash these same tools so America can lead the geothermal revolution, too.”

Read the editorial here.

Geothermal News