Drilling We Can Get Behind

We saved the last deep dive of Study Mission 6.0 for our favorite subterranean power source: geothermal! If you haven’t already, you should check out our “Drill Baby Drill…Geothermal Boreholes” newsletter, where we go into more detail on the power source that David Roberts calls “an engineering problem that, when solved, solves energy.”

On the final day of our study mission, we received a briefing from Fervo Energy at their headquarters in Houston. Fervo is developing a 500 megawatt (MW) next-generation enhanced geothermal system in Utah, which will begin delivering 24/7 carbon-free power in late 2026. They met with our delegation the same week the company went public (netting $1.9 billion with a valuation of $7.7 billion), and we’re incredibly grateful to their team for taking the time to meet with us.

Study Mission 6.0 receiving briefing from Fervo Energy in Houston, TX. Delegation seated in rows, speaker at the front of the room near a podium with a presentation titled “Fervo Energy and the Geothermal Decade” on screen in the front of the room. — *The Study Mission 6.0 receives a briefing at the Fervo Energy headquarters in Houston*

Why are we so bullish on geothermal? Right now, it’s the only renewable technology that can provide clean, firm power, meaning energy that’s available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Geothermal has a significant role to play in addressing Washington’s power gap and load growth challenges.

Here’s how Fervo’s technology works: It harnesses existing fracking technology widely used by the natural gas industry, and instead deploys it for 24/7, carbon-free power. Their innovative approach to drilling means Fervo has significantly more freedom in where they can site a geothermal system, and no longer has to rely primarily on finding naturally existing near-surface resource potential (though it certainly helps).

Given our unique geography, geothermal has vast potential to deploy in Washington state. The challenge? Our comparative lack of oil and gas wells means that Washington has a less nuanced understanding of where exactly to drill geothermal wells with the highest resource potential.

That’s why we were so excited to see Fervo launch a new partnership with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and NVIDIA. The partnership will build a “digital twin” to help developers and interested parties understand the potential and needs of a specific subterranean site, without having to speculatively drill.

Tools like this are critical to helping Washington tap into the significant potential to deploy geothermal energy in our state!

Thank you to our sponsors for making Study Mission 6.0 possible!

Helion Continues to Break Records in WA – and Around the World

Another dispatch from an exciting clean technology company: Helion just became the first company in the world to secure the regulatory licenses needed for a fusion power plant, marking a huge milestone for Washington’s clean energy economy!

Helion is building the world’s first fusion power plant, targeting 50 MW of zero-carbon power by 2028 and the potential to avoid 100,000+ tons of CO₂ each year.

From left to right: Art Ortega, Senior Director of Corporate Social Responsibility and Regulatory Compliance, Yakima Chief Hops; Anthony Pancotti, Co-Founder, Helion; Michael Mann, Executive Director, Clean & Prosperous; Chris Dougher, VP of Operations, Sila; Karl Vanevenhoven, COO, Yakima Chief Hops — *Helion Co-Founder Anthony Pancotti (second from left) stands alongside representatives from Yakima Chief Hops, Clean & Prosperous, and Sila at the 2026 Future of Carbon Policy Forum*

We were proud to recognize Helion as a finalist for the David & Patricia Giuliani Clean Energy Entrepreneur Award at our 2026 Future of Carbon Policy Forum.

Congratulations to Helion on reaching this regulatory milestone – it’s exciting to see Washington companies continue to push the boundaries of clean energy innovation!

Enroll in the 2026 MHD Fleet Electrification Accelerator

Enrollment is open for the fall 2026 Medium- & Heavy-Duty (MHD) Fleet Electrification Accelerator. This three month program is for MHD fleet operators in Washington.

Graduates leave the program with a real, actionable electrification plan, tailored to their vehicles, routes, and operational needs. Crucially, they’ll also have a strategy for securing Washington Zero-Emission Incentive Program (WAZIP) incentives before they’re gone!

Read more about the program, or sign up for an informational webinar to see if the Accelerator is the right fit for your organization. You can also reach out directly to Steven Alaman at steven.alaman@breakingbarrierscollaborative.org with any questions.

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