---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 17198"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "17198"
heading: "Geothermal workforce development"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/17198"
units:
  - "Chapter 152 — Energy Independence and Security"
  - "Subchapter V — Accelerated Research and Development"
  - "Part B — Geothermal Energy"
---

# §17198. Geothermal workforce development


The [Secretary](/usc/42/17001.md?p=3) shall support the development of a [geothermal](/usc/42/17191.md?p=6) energy workforce through a [program](/usc/42/17151.md?p=5) that—

- (1) facilitates collaboration between university students and researchers at the [National Laboratories](/usc/42/17211.md?p=4); and
- (2) prioritizes science in areas relevant to the mission of the [Department](/usc/42/17001.md?p=1) through the application of [geothermal](/usc/42/17191.md?p=6) energy tools and technologies.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 110–140, title VI, § 619, Dec. 19, 2007, 121 Stat. 1683; Pub. L. 116–260, div. Z, title III, § 3002(h)(1), Dec. 27, 2020, 134 Stat. 2495.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2020—Pub. L. 116–260 amended section generally. Prior to amendment, section read as follows: “The Secretary shall expand the Department of Energy’s GeoPowering the West program to extend its geothermal technology transfer activities throughout the entire United States. The program shall be renamed ‘GeoPowering America’. The program shall continue to be based in the Department of Energy office in Golden, Colorado.”

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Section effective on the date that is 1 day after Dec. 19, 2007, see section 1601 of Pub. L. 110–140, set out as a note under section 1824 of Title 2, The Congress.