Ongoing & Recent Projects (Selected)
Integrated Geothermal Resource Mapping and Assessment
A major barrier to scaling geothermal deployment is the lack of up-to-date temperature and formation maps at sub-regional and county scales. As part of the Texas Imperative study (supported by the Bureau of Economic Geology and the State of Texas), our team develops GIS-based maps and play-fairway assessments for both Conventional and Next-Generation geothermal technologies across the Gulf Coast and East Texas. The results will be hosted on an open-access web portal, featuring interactive GIS visualizations and a searchable database, designed to increase operator confidence and facilitate project development statewide.
The HotRock consortium has mapped geothermal potential across the Rio Grande Rift Zone in Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado using integrated geologic, geophysical, and geochemical datasets combined with machine learning-based play-fairway modeling.
Member companies can engage directly with us for customized, site-scale studies and access to high-resolution datasets.
PI: Shuvajit Bhattacharya
Feasibility studies for Department of Defense (DOD) installations
HotRock scientists lead and collaborate with geothermal startups (e.g., Sage Geosystems) and federal partners to evaluate subsurface systems and seismicity risks at multiple DOD bases in the US, with the goal to strengthen energy resilience and produce 24/7 firm baseload “behind the fence-line”. The team has completed studies at the Ellington JRB (Houston), Naval Air Station (Corpus Christi), and Ft. Bliss (El Paso), with funding from DIU and USAF. These studies expect to derisk the deployment of fit-for-purpose geothermal prototype systems (Bhattacharya et al., 2025; Salles et al., 2025).
PI: Shuvajit Bhattacharya
Advanced Geothermal Reservoir Simulation
With the rapid diversification of geothermal technologies, performance modeling is key to evaluating feasibility and optimizing operations. HotRock assesses the control of various well configurations, well spacing, frac geometries, working fluid (water and supercritical CO2), cement type, tubing size, and fluid injection strategies on heat production and thermal drawdown for hydrothermal, EGS, CLGS, and TES.
Sponsors receive custom workflows, simulation outputs, and sensitivity analyses to help refine their system designs and operational strategies.
PI: Shuvajit Bhattacharya
Comparative techno-economic analysis (TEA)
Investment and policy decisions require consistent, transparent comparisons across geothermal technologies. HotRock develops upgraded TEA tools for power generation and direct-use applications, integrating scenario analysis and regional cost data to support more accurate economic evaluations (Wisian et al., 2024; Bhattacharya et al., 2025).
Consortium members also benefit from in-house training workshops on TEA modeling and decision support.
PI: Shuvajit Bhattacharya
Value of geothermal on power grid and energy resilience
With surging power demand, intermittent nature of solar and wind, and limited longevity of battery storage, geothermal offers a firm, reliable baseload that can also work as backup power during stressed conditions (e.g., load shed and voltage/frequency ride through, tropical storms, ice storms, etc.). HotRock quantifies the value of geothermal (thermal/pressure storage) to generate on demand power for grid stabilization and conduct co-optimization studies integrating geothermal siting with power grid models.
Sponsors gain access to results and insights highlighting alternative value propositions of geothermal within evolving energy markets.
PI: Shuvajit Bhattacharya
Thermal load mapping for direct use
Geothermal resources can deliver far more than electricity, particularly for heating and cooling in commercial, industrial, agricultural, and residential sectors.
To identify these opportunities, HotRock has developed GIS-based visualizations and interactive dashboards showing county-level thermal demand across Texas, including applications for data centers and manufacturing hubs.
This work supports strategic planning for district heating, thermal networks, and direct-use geothermal deployment across the Gulf region.
PI: Shuvajit Bhattacharya
Project Funding Sources
