Fossil Energy Research and Development

The Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office (HGEO) mission is to unleash the full potential of America’s hydrocarbon and geothermal resources to provide affordable, reliable and secure energy. Through innovation and U.S. energy leadership, HGEO advances breakthrough technologies that lower costs and power American prosperity freedom and human flourishing. The Office works to conduct cutting-edge research, development and demonstration (RD&D) across hydrocarbon and geothermal energy sectors while accelerating the deployment of breakthrough technologies that strengthen U.S. energy security, reliability, and affordability. Priority areas of technology work include research and development (R&D) to ensure the resilience of U.S. oil and natural gas systems in the United States; R&D and stabilize, optimize, and grow the American coal industry, restoring it as a cornerstone of the U.S. energy mix; accelerating the discovery and development of a gigawatt-scale geothermal energy to position geothermal as competitive domestic source for reliable baseload electricity generation; and administer DOE’s regulatory responsibilities for Liquid National Gas (LNG) exports under the Natural Gas Act. The Office works to foster partnerships with industry, academia, and other government agencies to deliver solutions that bolster U.S. energy security. Finally, the Office supports novel, early-stage research at U.S. colleges and universities.