In America climate hawks and Big Oil alike cheer geothermal energy

Even that may not be enough to get the industry cooking

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, WY - SEPTEMBER 18: Hundreds of visitors watch as Old Faithful Geyser springs to life (every 90 minutes) in Yellowstone National Park's Upper Geyser Basin on September 18, 2022, in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. Sitting atop an active volcanic caldera, Yellowstone, America's first National Park, is home to more geological hydrothermal features (geysers, mud pots, hot springs, fumaroles) than are found in the rest of the world combined. (Photo by George Rose/Getty Images) — Image: Getty Images

Mar 14th 2023|Denver and Houston

EXIT THE lift on the top floor of the Houston Museum of Natural Science, and the mechanical beeps and whirrs of a model offshore oil rig welcome you to an exhibit entirely devoted to energy. Explore the riveting history of drill bits or how fracking works, all conspicuously sponsored by Exxon, Chevron or another oil major. Amid all the cheerleading for oil and gas, only a small section is dedicated to renewable energy. But in a few years, perhaps a whole wall will be devoted to a different type of drilling—for heat instead of hydrocarbons.

This article appeared in the United States section of the print edition under the headline “Some like it hot”