U.S. Plans to Repurpose Hundreds of Thousands of Abandoned Oil Wells for Geothermal Energy

The Department of Energy is converting disused oil and gas wells into geothermal assets. Over 500,000 of the nation's 2–3 million abandoned wells are suitable candidates. The approach captures residual heat from active wells or retrofits dormant ones to generate electricity and heating. A pilot project in Blackburn field aims for 1 megawatt output. Oklahoma recently granted the first state permit for well conversion, establishing a regulatory model for broader scaling.