Digital Workflows Could Help Geothermal Energy Finally Scale Up

• Proeksa Meas
• 11 October 2026
• Construction Focus
• 56 Views

Digital technologies are helping transform geothermal energy development by making projects more efficient, scalable and easier to manage, according to a recent industry analysis.

Geothermal energy provides a reliable, low-emission source of power that can operate around the clock, unlike renewable sources that depend on weather conditions. However, high upfront costs, exploration uncertainty and the complexity of identifying underground resources have limited its growth.

New technologies such as horizontal drilling and enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) are expanding access to geothermal resources. At the same time, digital tools are improving subsurface modeling, drilling, reservoir simulation and performance monitoring.

Integrated digital workflows can bring geological, engineering and operational data together in a single environment. This allows teams to identify promising drilling locations, optimize well placement, monitor reservoirs in real time and detect potential problems earlier.

The approach is also being demonstrated in projects such as Calpine’s geothermal operations in California and Google’s geothermal initiatives. By connecting data across the entire asset lifecycle, digital integration could help reduce risks, improve efficiency and support more sustainable long-term geothermal production.

With investment in advanced geothermal technologies potentially reaching $1 trillion by 2035 if significant cost reductions are achieved, digital integration is emerging as an important tool for scaling geothermal energy and strengthening its role in the global energy mix.

Covered photo: Fervo Energy’s Project Red in Nevada is the first commercial EGS project with fully horizontal wells and likely the hottest ever drilled (Image: Fervo Energy).

• Bentley
• Seequent
• Bentley Systems
• LeapFrog
• EGS