‘‘(II) a variety of development 
techniques, including open hole and 
cased hole completions, differing well 
orientations, and stimulation and non-
stimulation mechanisms; and 
‘‘(ii) to the extent practicable, use ex-
isting sites where subsurface characteriza-
tion or geothermal energy integration anal-
ysis has been conducted. 
‘‘(C) EASTERN DEMONSTRATION.—Not fewer 
than 1 of the demonstration projects carried out 
under subparagraph (A) shall be located an area 
east of the Mississippi that is suitable for en-
hanced geothermal demonstration for power, 
heat, or a combination of power and heat.’’. 
SEC. 6. GEOTHERMAL HEAT PUMPS AND DIRECT USE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Title VI of the Energy Independ-
ence and Security Act of 2007 is amended by inserting after 
section 616 (42 U.S.C. 17195) the following: 
‘‘SEC. 616A. GEOTHERMAL HEAT PUMPS AND DIRECT USE 
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT. 
‘‘(a) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this section are— 
‘‘(1) to improve the understanding of related 
earth sciences, components, processes, and systems 
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used for geothermal heat pumps and the direct use of 
geothermal energy; and 
‘‘(2) to increase the energy efficiency, lower the 
cost, increase the use, and improve and demonstrate 
the effectiveness of geothermal heat pumps and the di-
rect use of geothermal energy. 
‘‘(b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) DIRECT USE OF GEOTHERMAL ENERGY.— 
The term ‘direct use of geothermal energy’ means geo-
thermal systems that use water directly or through a 
heat exchanger to provide— 
‘‘(A) heating and cooling to buildings, com-
mercial districts, residential communities, and 
large municipal, or industrial projects; or 
‘‘(B) heat required for industrial processes, 
agriculture, aquaculture, and other facilities. 
‘‘(2) ECONOMICALLY
DISTRESSED
AREA.—The 
term ‘economically distressed area’ means an area de-
scribed in section 301(a) of the Public Works and 
Economic Development Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 
3161(a)). 
‘‘(3) GEOTHERMAL HEAT PUMP.—The term ‘geo-
thermal heat pump’ means a system that provides 
heating and cooling by exchanging heat from shallow 
geology, groundwater, or surface water using— 
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‘‘(A) a closed loop system, which transfers 
heat by way of buried or immersed pipes that 
contain a mix of water and working fluid; or 
‘‘(B) an open loop system, which circulates 
ground or surface water directly into the build-
ing and returns the water to the same aquifer or 
surface water source. 
‘‘(c) PROGRAM.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall support 
within the Geothermal Technologies Office a program 
of research, development, and demonstration for geo-
thermal heat pumps and the direct use of geothermal 
energy. 
‘‘(2) AREAS.—The program under paragraph (1) 
may include research, development, demonstration, 
and commercial application of— 
‘‘(A) geothermal ground loop efficiency im-
provements, cost reductions, and improved in-
stallation and operations methods; 
‘‘(B) the use of geothermal energy for build-
ing-scale energy storage; 
‘‘(C) the use of geothermal energy as a grid 
management resource or seasonal energy storage; 
‘‘(D) geothermal heat pump efficiency im-
provements; 
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‘‘(E) the use of alternative fluids as a heat 
exchange medium, such as hot water found in 
mines and mine shafts, graywater, or other 
fluids that may improve the economics of geo-
thermal heat pumps; 
‘‘(F) heating of districts, neighborhoods, 
communities, large commercial or public build-
ings, and industrial and manufacturing facili-
ties; 
‘‘(G) the use of low temperature ground-
water for direct use; and 
‘‘(H) system integration of direct use with 
geothermal electricity production. 
‘‘(3) ENVIRONMENTAL
IMPACTS.—In carrying 
out the program, the Secretary shall identify and 
mitigate potential environmental impacts in accord-
ance with section 614(c). 
‘‘(d) GRANTS.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary shall carry 
out the program established in subsection (c) by mak-
ing grants available to State, local, and Tribal gov-
ernments, institutions of higher education, nonprofit 
entities, National Laboratories, utilities, and for-prof-
it companies. 
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‘‘(2) PRIORITY.—In making grants under this 
subsection, the Secretary may give priority to pro-
posals that apply to large buildings, commercial dis-
tricts, and residential communities that are located in 
economically distressed areas and areas that the Sec-
retary determines to have high economic potential for 
geothermal district heating based on the report, 
‘Geovision: Harnessing the Heat Beneath our Feet’ 
published by the Department in 2019, or a successor 
report.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 1(b) of the 
Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 
17001 note) is amended in the table of contents by inserting 
after the item relating to section 616 the following: 
‘‘616A. Geothermal heat pumps and direct use research and development.’’. 
SEC. 7. COST SHARING AND PROPOSAL EVALUATION. 
Section 617(b) of the Energy Independence and Secu-
rity Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17196) is amended by striking 
paragraph (2) and redesignating paragraphs (3) and (4) 
as paragraphs (2) and (3), respectively. 
SEC. 8. ADVANCED GEOTHERMAL COMPUTING AND DATA 
SCIENCE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 618 of the Energy Inde-
pendence and Security Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17197) is 
amended to read as follows: 
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