Engineers linked two deep wells through 629°F rock beneath Oregon’s Newberry volcano; the experiment could unlock round-the-clock power without burning fuel

A Texas company has pulled off a major geothermal milestone beneath Newberry Volcano in central Oregon. Mazama Energy says it connected two deep wells through rock that reached 629 degrees Fahrenheit, or 331 degrees Celsius, making it the hottest enhanced geothermal system ever built anywhere in the world, as reported by AutoNotion.What makes the story unusual is not just the temperature, but the place. Newberry is an active volcano about 25 miles south of Bend, Oregon, and Mazama is trying to turn its buried heat into a reliable source of clean power.Why this mattersGeothermal energy has long been seen as promising but limited by geography. The hottest, most accessible rock is rare, and conventional geothermal projects often need very specific conditions to work well. Mazama’s Newberry project is notable because it shows that deep, superhot rock in the United States may be able to deliver far more energy than typical geothermal systems.The company is not stopping at the record. It plans three more wells at Newberry in 2026, targeting rock hotter than 400 degrees Celsius, a threshold that could change the economics of geothermal power.How the system worksThe setup is straightforwar...