The five selected teams include Idaho National Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, University of Utah and two Sandia National Laboratories, located in Coso, California and Fallon, Nevada.
They represent planned projects in California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, and Utah.
Under the first phase, the teams will spend time in completing mission-critical technical and logistical works that show site viability and meet FORGE objectives as well as develop plans for the next phase.
Phase one will feature conceptual geologic modelling and the creation of plans for data dissemination, intellectual property, environmental, health and safety information, communications and outreach, stakeholder engagement, R&D implementation, and environmental management.
The second phase will provide about $29m in funding. The selected teams will move into phase two to instrument, characterize, and permit candidate sites for full-scale operations at FORGE in the third and final phase.
Phase three is expected to fund the full implementation of FORGE at a single site, managed by one operations team.
US Under Secretary for Science and Energy Lynn Orr said: "Through these kinds of critical investments in renewable energy, the Department is helping develop cost-effective technologies for engineering geothermal systems that supply affordable, zero-carbon energy to millions of American homes and businesses.
"Enhanced geothermal systems could represent the next frontier of renewable energy and hold the potential to diversify the nation’s energy portfolio while reducing greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere."
