As the world accelerates its transition toward sustainable energy systems under SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), much of the focus has been on solar, wind, and hydropower. Yet, beneath the Earth’s surface lies one of the most stable, renewable, and underutilized resources: geothermal energy. Despite its enormous potential, geothermal contributes just 0.5% of global electricity generation (IRENA, 2022). Installed capacity stands at around 16 GW worldwide, far below its estimated global potential of 200 GW by 2050. Why is this resource so untapped? What regions can lead in its development? And what do businesses in the energy domain need to know about the opportunities and requirements for entering this market? This article addresses these questions from a market research perspective, analyzing geothermal energy as a growth opportunity for businesses, investors, and policymakers. Why Geothermal Energy is Underutilized? Several barriers explain why geothermal energy lags behind solar and wind: High upfront exploration costs: Locating viable geothermal reservoirs requires drilling, which can cost $2–10 million per well with high financial risk if no viable resource is found. Site-specific availability: Unlike solar or wind, geothermal resources are concentrated in geologically active regions such as volcanic belts and tectonic plate boundaries. Policy neglect: Governments and investors have favored solar and wind due to faster deployment, falling costs, and high visibility. Technical expertise requirement: Developing geothermal requires advanced geoscience, drilling, and reservoir management skills, limiting entry to specialized players. Despite these challenges, geothermal offers unique advantages: it provides baseload power (24/7 availability), unlike intermittent […]