Good morning. This summer, Europe has faced brutal heat—and energy production is taking a hit. In Hungary, for example, record-low water levels in the Danube River have curbed production at the country’s only nuclear plant. So officials are getting creative: They’re sinking barges to raise the Danube. That certainly gives new meaning to the “sinking ship” metaphor. 🚢
P.S. Check out the energy job listings in this edition—keep scrolling for more info, and keep an eye out for more opportunities. 👀
— Molly, Carrie, and the Energy Central editorial team
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Diagram credit: Lendlease and Mavrek
Geothermal: Coming to a city near you?
Hot rocks are so hot right now. Geothermal is making headlines (and amassing billions on the stock market) as a baseload contender to ease the capacity crunch.
But for the hype to meet reality, it’ll take plenty of digging. Right now, geothermal plants contribute less than 1% of total US generation. They’re confined to the West, which hosts the sizzling natural reservoirs that conventional geothermal facilities utilize.
Not your grandma’s geothermal: Now, next-gen tech could bring the energy source to the rest of the country—by, for example, blasting water underground to form artificial reservoirs. As of last June, utilities had inked PPAs for over 1 GW of next-gen geothermal projects.
Meanwhile, some developers are thinking smaller…and harnessing geothermal to heat and cool apartment buildings. A handful of US residential complexes now incorporate closed-loop geothermal systems (which are essentially huge radiators).
How it works: A system of pipes and heat pumps captures (or dumps) heat underground—where temps stay moderate year-long—and controls the climate in the building above.
The frontier: New York City, where closed-loop setups keep cropping up. These include The Riverie, which developer Lendlease says is the country’s biggest residential geothermal system of its kind. The Riverie consists of two towers, which are 37 and 20 stories tall. Beneath them, the geothermal system connects to hundreds of 500-feet-deep boreholes. The building welcomed its first residents in January.
It’s not the only game in town. The Big Apple’s first multi-family geothermal project opened in 2024. The commercial sector is also getting in on the action, including St. Patrick’s Cathedral and a 16-story Manhattan office building.
So, why is Gotham seeing a geothermal boom? According to Layth Madi, senior VP of development at Lendlease, it’s a mix of:
Tech advancements, including safer and less water-intensive drilling
Less permitting red tape
Climate laws and corporate emissions targets
Public- and private-sector financial assistance (Lendlease partnered with NYSERDA and Con Edison on The Riverie)
“We’re finally able to deploy [geothermal] at scale,” Madi told Energy Central. “It’s an old technology that’s fairly low-risk that’s maybe having a second look with a lot of developers.”
Lendlease expects major payoffs with The Riverie. For one, the company estimates a 53% cut in annual carbon emissions from heating and cooling (compared with traditional residential buildings), along with relatively low operating costs.
As more high-rises incorporate closed-loop systems, it begs the question: How high can they go?
“The taller the building is, the less likely geothermal is to help,” said Tristan Schwartzman, director of energy services at engineering firm Goldman Copeland. NYC buildings have relatively small footprints—and the more stories, the more boreholes you need. But you can only cram so many of them in one spot.
The fix: Engineers are working to boost closed-loop systems’ capacity through deeper wells and more efficient heat transfer, Schwartzman told us. But for particularly massive projects, geothermal might work best as a complement to other heating and cooling systems.
What’s next: As more developers eye geothermal, Madi said The Riverie provides living proof that the tech can scale—and offers residents a comfortable experience. “It was certainly challenging in all the right ways,” he said. “I hope other people take it as a case study, and we see more of this.” 🔥
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FERC has approved NERC’s push for tighter grid security.
Batten down the hatches: In response to a 2025 FERC order, NERC’s CIP-015-2 standard beefs up protection for weak points that can be exploited by hackers (including authentication servers, card access systems, and visitor management systems). “This expansion isn’t arbitrary,” wrote cybersecurity expert Kristine Martz. “It addresses a critical security gap that adversaries have exploited.”
Also on FERC’s desk: The agency has OK’d MISO’s cost recovery plan for new transmission projects…in PJM. Huh? MISO is planning a 765-kV “backbone” across its Midwest footprint, which will dip into PJM territory. This led industry groups to argue that MISO’s competitive bidding rules should cover the new lines in PJM…but FERC nixed the idea (ComEd and Duke Ohio will do the building).
Which energy jobs are safe from AI? We got answers from over a dozen industry leaders.
The meter reading: Energy Central’s Matt Chester reached out to 14 influential power pros, who pointed to functions including: 1) Physical work like line repairs 2) key management decisions and 3) having true empathy for the customer.
The takeaway? As AI reshapes the energy world, uniquely human skills become more valuable. Dive into the expert insights here. 🤿
Federal tax credits for solar and wind may be dunzo, but clean energy investments are set to hit a record $180B this year.
The numbers: In the first half of 2026, capex for clean energy and manufacturing already totaled roughly $74B, Crux reported.
And up in Canada: Officials announced North America’s biggest clean energy investment yet—up to $10B for hydro, transmission, onshore wind, and other upgrades.
Perennial Power Holdings is hiring a director of asset operations and management.
The Oregon Public Utility Commission is hiring a director for its Water, Telecom, Safety, and Consumers Program.
The Austin City Attorney’s Office is hiring a chief for its Utilities and Regulatory Division.
Reach thousands of qualified energy professionals actively seeking their next career opportunity and connect with the talent your team needs.
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Thanks for reading. Hasta la vista!