The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Geothermal (OG) works to reduce costs and risks associated with geothermal development by supporting innovative technologies that address key exploration and operational challenges. U.S. geothermal resources can be harnessed for power production and heating and cooling without importing fuel. One major hurdle in this process is the identification of new hidden geothermal prospects. The Geologic Enhanced Mapping System (GEMS) Prize, presented by OG, will prioritize efforts to accelerate the ongoing, detailed geologic mapping of the United States, with a focus on locating previously unknown deposits of critical minerals.
The GEMS Prize seeks to address the challenge of creating an algorithm that will generate enhanced geologic fault datasets to support geologic and geophysical mapping and modeling that will assist geothermal and critical mineral studies. This work is vital to accelerate discoveries of new, commercially viable hidden geothermal systems while reducing the exploration and development risks for all geothermal resources.
The prize will also reward the efforts of earth and data science professionals, to help identify innovative ways to use varied resolution data and extend applicability to other geographical areas. In keeping with the goal of growing a community of innovators, competitors will be encouraged to form multidisciplinary teams from varied geographies. Through addressing real-world geoscience problems, the GEMS Prize promotes the development of career pathways for early career scientists and creates innovative products among startups and entrepreneurial individuals.
View the official rules to learn more about requirements and eligibility. Visit the DrivenData prize submission page to enter.
The GEMS Prize was established and funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office and is part of the American-Made program. This prize is administered by the National Laboratory of the Rockies in partnership with DrivenData.
Do you have an eye for detail and a desire to peek beneath the surface of geothermal energy? You're invited to help transform the geothermal industry through the American-Made GEMS Prize.
Institutions, companies, nonprofit organizations, and individuals based in the United States are eligible to compete. For full eligibility requirements, please read the official rules.
Click the Learn More button at the top or bottom of this page to visit the DrivenData prize submission page. If you have questions, please use the contact feature on the HeroX platform or message us directly at .
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