Wells of Opportunity (WOO)

Wells of Opportunity (WOO) — Open FOA

Helps research teams and institutions for Wells of Opportunity in energy systems, climate technology, and hardware.

The Wells of Opportunity (WOO) program, administered by the DOE Office of Geothermal (reorganized in 2026 under the Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office within CMEI), funds the conversion of existing oil and gas well infrastructure into geothermal energy assets. The program operates through two technical approaches: Well Retrofits, which repair inactive or unproductive wells and use earth-heated water to power thermoelectric generators; and Co-Production, which captures hot water produced alongside oil and gas from active wells to generate electricity simultaneously with ongoing hydrocarbon production. Both approaches emphasize the use of already-permitted, already-drilled infrastructure rather than new well construction.

Five projects have been funded under WOO to date, with recipients including Geothermix LLC (Austin, TX), ICE Thermal Harvesting (Houston, TX), Ormat Nevada Inc. (Reno, NV), Gradient Geothermal (Aurora, CO), and the University of Oklahoma (Norman, OK). Documented program outcomes include Oklahoma's first regulatory permit converting oil and gas wells for geothermal use, successful thermoelectric cell testing in the field, and a Bureau of Land Management pathway established for future well conversions on federal lands. Specific award amounts for the five active projects were not disclosed in public program materials.

Eligible applicants include for-profit companies, universities, and research organizations with access to oil and gas well infrastructure. No specific open solicitation for a new WOO funding round was confirmed as of mid-2026; future opportunities are expected to be posted on EERE Exchange at eere-exchange.energy.gov. A separate and distinct solicitation, DE-FOA-0003472 (Next-Generation Geothermal Field Tests, up to $171.5 million, award range $4 million–$25 million), covers enhanced geothermal system and drilling topics but is not part of the WOO program.