42 U.S.C. § 17192 — Hydrothermal research and development

(a) In general: The Secretary must carry out a program of research, development, demonstration, and commercial application for producing geothermal energy from hydrothermal systems. (b) Programs: This program must include: (1) Advanced hydrothermal resource tools: researching and developing advanced geologic tools that help locate hydrothermal resources and make site characterization more reliable, including new imaging and sensing technology to prioritize where to look; and (2) Exploratory drilling for geothermal resources: demonstrating advanced siting and exploratory drilling techniques for undiscovered resources in a variety of geologic settings, working with industry partners to gather high-quality data for characterizing hydrothermal resources underground.