Assessing Energy Resources

How could future energy demands be met for a growing city? What is the potential for geothermal energy resources in my state? How much carbon dioxide could be stored under federal lands?  

Decision makers face complicated choices about where and how to develop energy resources. As the Energy Resources Program, we provide information about (a) the location, quantities, and characteristics of geologic energy resources and (b) how their development might impact other natural resources. 

This information helps inform strategies addressing the Nation’s reliance on domestic versus foreign resources and supports the co-management of energy and other natural resources, especially on Federal lands.

What are geologic energy resources?

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There are many ways of using the Earth’s geologic resources to produce energy. As technology and geologic knowledge have advanced, more geologic energy resources have become accessible.

Some commonly used geologic energy resources include oil, gas, coal, uranium and geothermal heat. The Energy Resources Program studies these, as well as emerging geologic energy resources that are not yet used at a commercial scale like geologic hydrogen gas and gas hydrates. The capacity of the Earth to store energy for future use in the form of heat or water in underground rocks is also a geologic energy resource. 

Energy resource assessments and why we do them

Resource assessments are estimates of the locations and quantities of undiscovered geologic energy resources. We are the Nation’s primary provider of publicly available assessments of geologic energy resources, including national and global assessments of oil and gas.

Energy resource assessments are built on foundational research; we study key geologic processes that result in energy resources to better predict where undiscovered resources might be. During the assessment process, scientists combine this knowledge with information about known resources and geophysical, geochemical and geologic data to estimate the quantity and locations of undiscovered resources. 

These resource assessments are widely used by a variety of stakeholders including local, State, and Federal governments, land resource managers, and the public. They inform the investment of billions of dollars each year, inform strategic trade decisions, and shape emerging technologies. 

Supporting holistic decision-making: a full life cycle and multi-resource approach 

We also deliver science to understand the impacts and tradeoffs associated with energy resource development. Energy resource development may compete with the use of other natural resources: for instance, energy development may require large quantities of water, energy infrastructure can interfere with local ecosystems, and wastes from energy resources may need to be stored or treated. 

Understanding how the development of geologic energy resources may impact other natural resources at each stage of the life cycle allows decision makers to better co-manage important natural resources. 

Our research also helps highlight avenues for more efficient use of natural resources. For instance, minerals like lithium can be extracted from energy waste streams. In other locations, the ability to store energy in underground rocks could increase the efficiency of energy production from wind turbines and solar panels. By looking across resources and along the entire life span of these resources, we highlight these opportunities.