Geothermal finds rare political sweet spot amid AI boom

Geothermal — power drawn from the Earth's natural heat — is pulling off something remarkable in today's hyperpolarized America: Winning fans across the political spectrum. Why it matters: The bipartisan appeal, combined with surging electricity demand from AI , is helping fuel investment in a niche energy source yet to prove it can compete at scale. Driving the news: Geothermal received unusually extensive attention in a bipartisan Senate bill introduced late last month to expedite infrastructure permitting . The House this summer passed a package containing several of the same geothermal provisions, including measures sponsored by lawmakers as ideologically distant as Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Mike Kennedy (R-Utah) . The rising cachet of geothermal is the product of three trends converging: Technologies adapted from the oil and gas industry, including fracking, are making it possible to tap heat in more places than just far-flung hot springs and volcanoes. Tech compa