A National Cooperative Subsurface Assessment Program

The US energy future—from geothermal, nuclear, wind, solar, and hydropower to oil and natural gas—depends on the subsurface. Yet despite its strategic importance, the subsurface remains one of the nation’s most undercharacterized assets. As demand grows for secure domestic energy, critical minerals, storage capacity, and water resources, better understanding the subsurface will be essential to reducing uncertainty, unlocking domestic resources, guiding investment, minimizing environmental impacts, and supporting responsible development. To address these gaps, a study released today advances nine cross-sectoral recommendations, together with resource-specific actions. Together, they support an overarching recommendation that Congress establish a National Cooperative Subsurface Assessment Program that builds on existing federal and state authorities to strengthen U.S. energy security, economic competitiveness, environmental stewardship, and responsible management of the nation’s subsurface resources. https://www.npc.org/reports/2026-american-resources/