Plugging In: How Advanced Geothermal Can Open Doors for Communities, Workers, and Clean Firm DERs

Statewide Call with Woody Hastings ▶︎ Video Available Recording Length: 41:52

In this May 2026 Statewide Call, Woody Hastings explores how technologies developed for the oil and gas industry are being reapplied to geothermal energy development — and what that means for communities, workers, and the future of distributed energy in California.

Advanced geothermal comes with real risks and challenges, but it also opens significant opportunities for clean, firm 24/7/365 power that is far more geographically flexible and scalable than conventional geothermal. Woody examines how this emerging technology fits into a broader suite of equitably deployed distributed energy resources, what community benefits it can deliver, and how it could provide a high-road transition pathway for former oil and gas workers.

Key Topics Covered

  • What are Advanced Geothermal Energy Systems (AGES)?
  • Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) and Closed-Loop Geothermal
  • California's geothermal resource potential (27.9 GW by 2050 per NREL)
  • Principles of just and equitable geothermal development
  • Opportunities for high-road employment and workforce transition
  • Health, safety, and environmental considerations
  • Industry players: Fervo, Eavor, Quaise, Ormat, and more
  • 2026 California policy landscape including AB 2234, California FORGE, and CEC proceedings
  • Levelized cost of energy trends and the path to $45/MWh by 2035

Featured Speaker

Woody Hastings

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Energy and Environmental Policy Analyst

Woody Hastings is an energy and environmental policy analyst, strategic planner, and community organizer with over thirty years of experience across the nonprofit, governmental, and private sectors. He specializes in community-based energy transition strategies and geothermal energy development.

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