Office of Subsurface Energy

The Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office’s (HGEO’s) Office of Subsurface Energy (SSE) leads and supports the research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) of upstream, midstream, and downstream subsurface energy (coal, oil and gas, geothermal) technologies. The Office of Subsurface Energy provides technical, economic, and market analysis to support departmental and programmatic priorities and decision-making on key issues that impact the subsurface energy RD&D programs. 

The Office of Subsurface Energy supports the following HGEO goals: 

• Office of Coal: Stabilize, optimize, and grow the American coal industry, restoring it as a cornerstone of our energy mix. 
• Office of Oil and Gas: Ensure resilience of U.S. oil and natural gas production and infrastructure reliability. 
• Office of Geothermal: Accelerate the discovery and development of gigawatt-scale geothermal energy and position geothermal as a competitive domestic source for reliable baseload electricity generation. 

The Office of Subsurface Energy includes four sub-program offices, 1) the Office of Coal, 2) the Office of Oil and Gas, 3) the Office of Geothermal, and 4) the Office of Analysis.

Last Updated: March 31, 2026