In addition to the pressing need to transition electricity generation to more widespread use of renewables, attention needs to be given to how these low-carbon systems might be integrated with other net-zero interventions. While wind and solar power deservedly receive much attention, not only is geothermal energy an important low-carbon source of electricity, but there are creative ways of integrating geothermal systems with other net-zero approaches to create a virtuous cycle of clean power generation and carbon sequestration. A team of Brian Ellis at the University of Michigan, Jeffrey Bielicki at The Ohio State University, and Jeremiah Johnson at North Carolina State University will address these challenges by examining the potential to pump carbon dioxide underground—after being captured from industrial processes such as coal-fired power generation—in order to enhance renewable geothermal power systems. How might these carbon dioxide streams get pumped into the subsurface? They are sent underground using excess electricity generated by wind or solar installations. These researchers will examine various dimensions of such systems that might allow the use of carbon-rich fluids to boost renewable energy production while simultaneously being sequestered underground. First, this team will investigate basic geological characteristics related to how differences in rock pore size and mineralogy may influence how these carbon-rich fluids flow in underground reservoirs. Second, they will look to aggregate this information about basin-scale geological characteristics to shed light on the viability of using such carbon-rich fluids to enhance geothermal energy production across power systems that have rather different power production and geographical characteristics. The results have the potential to inform how such net-zero systems might be optimized to help make renewables like geothermal power even more attractive as a twenty first century energy source.