Quaise Energy Secures US DOE Grant for Oregon Geothermal Plant
Quaise Energy received up to $25 million from the US DOE to advance Project Obsidian in Oregon. The project aims for 50 MW output by 2030.
Key points
- US DOE awarded Quaise Energy up to $25 million to analyze the first two wells of Project Obsidian.
- The Oregon project aims to generate over 50 MW by 2030, tapping rock temperatures exceeding 572°F.
- Quaise plans to drill a well reaching 752°F, potentially the hottest in the Western Hemisphere, using advanced geothermal techniques.
Quaise Energy announced the US Department of Energy selected Project Obsidian for up to $25 million in funding. The company is building a geothermal site in central Oregon to generate over 50 megawatts by 2030.
The DOE contract supports analysis of the first two wells at the site. Quaise will use these results to plan a third well and guide future drilling efforts in the region.
Project Obsidian Targets High-Temperature Resources
Located south of Bend, the project taps heat from deep underground rock. Quaise expects reservoir temperatures to exceed 572 degrees Fahrenheit during the initial test phase.
The company plans to drill a well reaching temperatures above 752 degrees Fahrenheit. This would make it the hottest well in the Western Hemisphere, far exceeding current commercial standards.
Funding Supports Technical Validation and Data
The $25 million grant covers studying drilling, stimulation, and flow results from the first two wells. Quaise will share this field data with research partners to optimize the third well.
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and Oregon State University are part of the project team. Their collaboration helps validate the enhanced geothermal system technology.
Expansion Plans Follow Initial Commercial Phase
Quaise targets more than 50 MW of power delivery to the Pacific Northwest grid by 2030. This first phase follows the completion of the three-well demonstration configuration.
The company states Project Obsidian could eventually expand to up to 1 gigawatt of capacity. This potential buildout is separate from the immediate 2030 commercial target and recent Series B financing.
