Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office (HGEO) has announced a $300,000 competition called the Geologic Enhanced Mapping System (GEMS) Prize, aimed at identifying hidden geothermal systems. The prize supports the use of geophysical data to detect faults and structures that indicate geothermal resources, in line with efforts to advance geothermal exploration for affordable, reliable, domestic electricity.
DOE Acting Assistant Secretary Curt Coccodrilli stated that unlocking geothermal potential is key to energy security and providing steady baseload power. The GEMS Prize challenges participants to create, train, and test algorithms that produce enhanced geologic fault data to improve mapping and modeling of geothermal and critical mineral resources.
The competition features real-world datasets, requiring entrants to apply their solutions to actual geophysical data. It aims to accelerate the discovery of commercially viable hidden geothermal systems and reduce risks in exploration and development. The contest includes two rounds with prizes from $15,000 to $100,000, open to individuals and teams. Submissions are due December 3, 2026.