[Part 2] Ken Wisian - Associate Director of the Bureau of Economic Geology with the University of Texas at Austin

In Part 2 of my conversation with Dr. Ken Wisian, we discuss the challenges and opportunities facing geothermal development in the U.S.

We cover why geothermal has historically lagged behind wind and solar, how federal and state programs are changing the economics, and what it will take to move from exploration to execution. Topics include Department of Defense projects, geothermal storage, long-term technical risks, and how public funding is shaping the next wave of deployment.

🔍 Topics covered:

• Why geothermal investment has lagged wind and solar — and what’s changing now

• The importance of derisking early-stage projects through mapping and modeling

• The Department of Defense’s evolving role in geothermal:

  • Feasibility studies at Ellington Field, Corpus Christi, and Fort Bliss

  • Behind-the-meter models and long-term resilience

  • Tradewinds geothermal portal (see more on recent developments here) and SBIR/STTR pathways

• Subsurface energy storage:

  • The Sage–San Miguel project in Texas

  • How shallow systems store pressure/heat and complement renewables

  • Use cases for turning intermittent generation into baseload

• Long-term technical risks and research priorities:

  • Cycling effects on fractures and elastic rock behavior

  • Geochemistry, mineral scaling, and fluid/rock interactions

  • Materials science and thermoelectric research

  • Mentioned Researchers/Research:

    • Ken Wisian

    • FORGE Initiative

    • Eric van Oort

    • Mohamed Shafik Khaled

    • Shuvajit Bhattacharya

• The role of machine learning in geothermal:

  • Merging disparate subsurface datasets

  • Downhole diagnostics and predictive modeling

• How aerospace, high-temp electronics, and defense R&D could transfer into geothermal

• Ken’s advice for navigating SBIR, STTR, and federal grant programs

• Why interdisciplinary teams — blending engineering, geology, economics, and policy — are key to project execution

If you’re building geothermal solutions or considering a project, this episode offers a practical look at what’s working, what’s coming next, and where developers can plug in.

PS - if you’d like to check out Part 1, see below: