Amanda Kolker is the laboratory program manager for Geothermal at NREL. She has more than 15 years of professional experience as a geothermal geologist, specializing in resource exploration and sustainable production of geothermal energy.

With a background in volcanology and geochemistry, Kolker has worked in academia, government, and private industry in the United States and abroad. She values multidisciplinary and innovative approaches to the energy question and enjoys working at the intersections of geoscience, policy, and economics.

Prior to her current role as laboratory program manager, Kolker joined NREL in 2019 as a research scientist, leading international research projects and consortia on exploration and resource assessment, innovative utilization of geothermal energy, energy resilience and equity, and other subjects. She serves as a thought leader in renewable energy strategy and integration efforts at NREL.

Research Interests

Geothermal energy

Geology

Volcanology

Igneous petrology

Geochemistry

Sustainability

Community engagement

Renewable energy policy and economics

Education

Ph.D. in Geology, University of Alaska Fairbanks

B.A. in Geology, Oberlin College

Featured Work

Low-Temperature Geothermal Geospatial Datasets: An Example from Alaska, Stanford Geothermal Workshop (2023)

Exploring for Superhot Geothermal Targets in Magmatic Settings: 2022 Field Campaign at Newberry Volcano, Stanford Geothermal Workshop (2023)

U.S. DOE Clean Energy Demonstration Program on Current and Former Mine Land—A Review of Geothermal Energy Case Studies and Opportunities, Stanford Geothermal Workshop (2023)

City-Scale Geothermal Energy Everywhere to Support Renewable Resilience—a Transcontinental Cooperation, Stanford Geothermal Workshop (2023)

Exploring for Superhot Geothermal Targets in Magmatic Settings: Developing a Methodology, GRC Transactions (2022)

Evaluating the feasibility of geothermal deep direct-use in the United States, Energy Conversion and Management (2021)

Digging deeper into direct use of geothermal energy, District Energy (2021)

2021 U.S. Geothermal Power Production and District Heating Market Report, NREL Technical Report (2021)

Sedimentary Geothermal Resources in Nevada, Utah, Colorado and Texas, NREL Technical Report (2020)

For a full list of Amanda's recent publications, visit the NREL publications database.