The project is being spearheaded by the WVU Energy Institute with WVU faculty and experts at Northeast Natural Energy LLC and the U.S. Department of Energy, with support from the West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey (WVGES) and Hewitt Energy Strategies.
The Geothermal Technologies Office of the U.S. DOE provided USD 9.1 million in funding for the project. Northeast Natural Energy, WVGES, and WVU contributed USD 2.76 million in cost-share funding.
Drilling will be located at an existing well pad at the Morgantown Industrial Park operated by Northeast Natural Energy. Core samples and temperature data will be collected in the well. “To be clear, instead of producing energy, this well will produce data,” said Sam Taylor, assistant director of Strategic Partnerships and Technology at the WVU Energy Institute. “The goal is to gather enough data to decide if geothermal reservoirs in the region can be a cleaner energy source for parts of West Virginia and mid-Appalachia, along with collecting data on possible carbon storage.”
Putting legislation to action
The project is also notable for being the first to request a deep geothermal science well drilling permit in West Virginia. The framework for such a process was introduced with House Bill 4098 which was signed into law in 2022. This legislation gives regulatory oversight on geothermal energy to the Department of Environmental Protection. Taylor was invited to provide expert testimony to state delegates when the bill was reviewed.
“We are very grateful for the outstanding cooperation of the Office of Oil and Gas in moving this project forward,” said Brett Loflin, vice president of Regulatory Affairs for Northeast Natural Energy. “We are very fortunate to have a regulatory agency willing to work with us on what we believe will be an important scientific endeavor.”
