ARPA-E's $30M Geothermal Fund Closes March 5
March 3, 2026 · 2 min read
Arthur Griffin
The Department of Energy's ARPA-E has set a March 5, 2026, deadline for full applications to its $30 million SUPERHOT program — and the window is closing fast. The program funds research and development of technologies that enable energy production from superhot geothermal reservoirs operating above 375°C and 22 MPa for 15 years or more.
Concept papers were submitted in early 2025, and teams that advanced past that gate must now submit complete proposals through the ARPA-E eXCHANGE portal by 9:30 AM ET on Wednesday, March 5.
What SUPERHOT Is Funding
The program targets two categories of research:
Category 1 covers technologies for constructing robust superhot wells, including new materials, novel well designs, and validation testing facilities for quality assurance of components that must survive extreme subsurface conditions.
Category 2 funds technologies for extracting heat from geothermal reservoirs, spanning both fracture-based and non-fracture-based approaches to move thermal energy from deep rock formations to the surface.
The program builds on ARPA-E's track record of backing geothermal innovators. Previous funding supported companies including Fervo Energy and Eden Geopower, which have since attracted significant private investment to advance enhanced geothermal systems.
Why Energy Researchers Should Care
Superhot geothermal represents one of the few baseload renewable energy sources with the potential to scale without intermittency. Unlike solar and wind, geothermal delivers continuous power regardless of weather or time of day. If the technical barriers to superhot extraction — primarily materials that survive extreme temperatures and pressures — can be solved, the energy potential is vast.
ARPA-E structures its SUPERHOT awards as Other Transaction (OT) agreements rather than traditional grants, which means reduced administrative burden and milestone-based payments. Reviewer comments on submitted applications will be available between March 26 and March 31.
Applicants working on geothermal, advanced materials, or subsurface energy systems should ensure their submissions are complete. Granted tracks fast-moving deadlines like this one across federal energy programs. For deeper analysis of DOE funding trends, visit the Granted blog.