Wells of Opportunity (WOO): Amplify II & ReAmplify | DE FOA 0002525

Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0002525

Wells of Opportunity (WOO): Amplify II and ReAmplify is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Geothermal Technologies Office (GTO) funding opportunity designed to speed up real-world testing of enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) concepts by using existing wells. Rather than focusing on early lab work, the program is centered on in-situ field validation, where technologies and methods can be proven under actual subsurface conditions. The basic idea is to partner directly with owners or operators of geothermal and hydrocarbon wells that already exist, including wells that are idle as well as those currently used for injection, production, or monitoring. DOE frames this phase as a critical step in the innovation pipeline because it is where prototypes and new approaches either demonstrate value in the field or fail fast; to encourage participation, the federal government helps absorb the cost and technical risk that typically make this kind of testing difficult for industry to justify on its own.

The funding opportunity (DE-FOA-0002525) was issued by the DOE Golden Field Office under the energy assistance listing CFDA 81.087 and uses a cooperative agreement structure. A cooperative agreement generally implies that DOE expects to be actively involved during the project period (for example, coordinating technical direction, milestones, reporting, and field demonstration learnings), rather than simply issuing a grant and stepping back. The opportunity was categorized as discretionary funding, with an award ceiling of $2.5 million per award and an expectation of around 13 total awards. The announcement was created on June 10, 2021, with an original closing date of July 26, 2021. Eligibility is described as unrestricted (open to a wide range of entity types), with the practical emphasis on applicants who control or can secure access to appropriate wells and can credibly execute field work in partnership with DOE.

WOO is organized into two topic areas that share a common theme: extracting more value from wells that already exist by applying EGS concepts and geothermal production approaches in places where conventional geothermal development might be limited. The program is explicitly aimed at taking what has recently improved in EGS technology and applying it where it can make a near-term difference, either by boosting output in and around existing geothermal fields or by demonstrating geothermal heat production from hydrocarbon fields that already have extensive well infrastructure.

Topic Area 1, Amplify (EGS Near-Field R&D), targets near-field and in-field EGS deployment around existing hydrothermal geothermal systems. In practice, this means working in or adjacent to established geothermal fields and focusing on wells that are underperforming or located in lower-permeability rock that has not delivered strong production using standard hydrothermal approaches. The intent is to show that with modern EGS techniques, these kinds of marginal or low-permeability zones can be engineered into productive assets. DOE describes the end result as culminating in new power production, which would strengthen the commercial case for expanding or revitalizing existing geothermal operations. The underlying message of Amplify is that EGS is no longer just a long-horizon concept; recent advances are considered mature enough to justify field deployment now, especially when applied as a targeted enhancement to known geothermal areas.

Topic Area 2, ReAmplify (Geothermal production from hydrocarbon wells), shifts the focus from established geothermal fields to existing hydrocarbon fields. The objective here is to demonstrate that geothermal heat can be produced using hydrocarbon well infrastructure and then used for electricity generation or direct-use applications (such as industrial heat or district heating, depending on local needs and temperatures). ReAmplify is framed as a pilot-style demonstration program intended to build evidence for commercial viability, not simply technical feasibility. The value proposition is that hydrocarbon regions often have a dense network of wells and subsurface data; if those wells can be repurposed or leveraged to tap geothermal heat, it could open a pathway to geothermal deployment in areas without traditional hydrothermal resources and could provide new productive use for existing assets.

Overall, the Wells of Opportunity program is about reducing barriers to field-scale learning and accelerating commercialization by sharing risk and cost with industry partners who can provide real wells for testing. Amplify emphasizes increasing power production and turning underproductive geothermal wells into contributors through near-field EGS methods, while ReAmplify emphasizes proving that geothermal energy production can be economically demonstrated from hydrocarbon fields using existing wells, with flexibility to support either power generation or direct heat use.

• The Department of Energy, Golden Field Office in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Wells of Opportunity (WOO): Amplify II & ReAmplify" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.087.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jun 10, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 26, 2021. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $2,500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 13 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.

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