US Department of Energy to Invest $90 Million in Advanced Geothermal Research

Geothermal Energy Deserves More Attention
Like wave-power, geothermal energy lives in the shadow of its two more popular brothers, solar power and wind power. The US Department of Energy (DOE) is trying to do something about that with a $90 million "Funding Opportunity Announcement"; it plans to award 26 grants to both industry and academia. "A minimum of 20% private sector cost share is required for R&D projects and funding for the awards is subject to Congressional appropriations."

Hopefully, this new investment by the DOE, along with private sector funds, will help geothermal (not to be confused with residential ground source heat pumps) move forward into the spotlight. As we said before, geothermal energy has a huge potential and could be used alongside intermittent renewable sources such as wind and solar.

Geothermal Funding Details
"Funding is available at US $10.5 million for fiscal year (FY) 2008. Subject to annual Congressional appropriations, up to an additional US $30 million is expected to be available for awards in FY 2009 and US $49.5 million in FY 2010."

Applications for this funding opportunity are due on or before August 12, 2008.

Does Geothermal Research Benefit from the Oil Industry?
On top of investments into geothermal, we have to note that - ironically - a lot of techniques from the oil industry (drilling, geological surveys) can be useful in that field. The problem is a shortage of competent geologists and engineers, as well as specialized equipment.

Geothermal Energy
Finding Geothermal Energy Just Got Easy
Geothermal Energy: Renewables' Poor Cousin
Is Geothermal Energy the Way of the Future?
Jargon Watch: Geothermal vs Ground Source Heat Pump

More on DOE $90 Million Geothermal Investment
DOE To Invest US $90 Million in Advanced Geothermal Energy

Comments

[Pquilson]

If the technology exists to use dry wells, for example, to adapt to geothermal power production, and if the process is not cost prohibitive, why does the government need to be involved?

[Cathexis]

My major concern with geothermal (which, BTW, uses temperature differentials between deep ground water and surface temp -- not steam) is what increasing population densities will do to water tables. If water tables get too depleted, will that pull the rug out from under geothermal?

[mamacat]

Dry steam uses steam directly from the Earth to power generators. It was the first used geothermal electrical energy production.

Flash steam takes very hot water near the surface and turns it into steam to power generators.

Both Dry and Flash steam generators are limited by the amount of steam or very hot water available. These power systems are limited to the amount of water flowing into the local hot water table.

The Binary Cycle for using geothermal energy is not dependent on the water table. Both the geothermal fluid and the working fluid are in closed loops, which are recycled.

Another source of very hot water that has not yet been developed is that which often comes inadvertantly out of producing oil and gas wells, and is considered a nuisance. Theoretically this nuisance very hot water could be used to produce electricity, without drilling any new wells.

In other cases, dry wells which were used to search for oil, or which are no longer economically feasible to use for oil, could be adapted for use in geothermal power production.

There are currently under production more geothermal projects, tapping into easily reached hot water and/or steam, than are already producing in the U.S. Nevertheless, there is tremendous untapped potential in this resource, and we need the government to get involved.

[nobama08]

The big question here is where does a majority of the Geothermal activity in the US occur? National Parks? The second question is, drilling the wells. It does not seem to me that drilling for "Steam Pressure" or drilling for "Oil" is all that different. Will we see the same obstructions to drilling, the Oil Industry has experienced recently? Because quite frankly, there should be no difference what is coming out of the ground, drilling is drilling.

[Soule23]

There are a number of important differences.

[mamacat]

Both political parties have been complaining that the oil companies are not doing enough exploratory drilling, on land, in the U.S. The obstructions to drilling, for oil or anything else, are actually very few, although they get a lot of attention.
As to where the geothermal energy is available, a quick google search shows that sources near the surface are available over thousands of square miles of the U.S., 99% outside of National Parks.

[totaldisbelief]

I don't like the bloated price tag but finally something that makes sense.

[mouselion]

I think the upfront huge costs may include geo-seismic exploration (what the article is alluding to when the author mentions this energy industry borrowing technology from the oil industry, "geologic surveys". To add to this twist of irony, KBR of Halliburton/Cheney fame, started as Brown & Root doing geo-seismic exploration in Texas and Louisiana. This technology, which involves drilling, blasting caps placed in the holes, cables with phone spikes laid on the ground, and a nearby mobile seismograph facility measures the seismic vibrations -- a geologist then analyzes the data to determine what's underneath the ground.

[ErnestineBass]

Geez Louise. Just buy the gd working tech specs from Iceland or Greenland, and use that $90 million to build the first plant instead.

Why in blue blazes this idiotic government of ours WASTES so much money on time-consuming "studies" that never amount to a hill of beans is beyond me.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

[Myshkin57]

I don't know the details, but it probably has to be a significantly different design to work somewhere that doesn't have tons of geothermal energy near the surface like Iceland.

[mamacat]

Most of Iceland's electricity is generated hydraulically, although geothermal is used extensively for both heating and electricity production.

There are naturally active geothermal areas in many parts of the world, especially on the various rings of fire. Just a few places with geothermal potential close to the surface are in Hawaii, Iceland, Japan, New Zealand, the Rift area of Kenya, Italy, China, Mexico, Nicaragua, Hungary, and Canada.

While studies have been done describing the possibility of deep drilling to insert water into hot areas of the mantle, there are many places all over the Earth's surface ripe for "easy picking", where it is not necessary to use undeveloped technology to develop electricity.

Like wind and solar, the technology is now mature enough for investment in geothermal.

One study, by MIT, showed that there is tremendous potential for geothermal development in the U.S., and around the world, without investing in expensive deep drilling techniques. However, if we relied on developing the more expensive technology, the MIT study said that all human electrical needs could be met by geothermal.

Personally, I think we should develop all of the renewable sources that are easily and economically feasible, before trying to do things that are very difficult and expensive.

[mamacat]

The Geysers geothermal development, north of San Francisco, has been continuously in operation since the 1960s. It is the single largest geothermal operation in the world, producing about 750 MW of clean electricity. That is enough electricity for San Francisco city, although only a fraction of the electricity actually goes there. Of the electrical needs between San Francisco and the Oregon border, 60% can be met by the output of The Geysers plants.

I am of the opinion that we don't need $90 million of research into geothermal's practicallity, but rather, $90 million of investment in geothermal development. It is a proven technology.

As for solar power, I have read articles stating that solar power would even now be competitive with electricity from coal and oil, if solar could just get subsidies and tax breaks comparable to what Big Oil gets. The GOP has blocked these measures in the Senate, and the President has said he would veto them if the Congress did pass them, but that is another story.

[Jason357]

I've never understood how the global warming gang could support sucking the heat out of the earth's core. Talk about stupid ideas. It plays into the same ignorance people have about water. I had one guy tell me that there was the equivalent of about oceans of water underground and it was impossible to run out of fresh water.

[ErnestineBass]

Too bad we can't generate electricity using stupidity.

We could tap into your head and have an endless supply.

[Zentomato]

Ernestine!!! OMG ya got me ROTFLMAO. LOL Thanks for the chuckles.

[FatherWolf]

You need to go back and find out the very basics of the current theories about global warming. Even if you don't believe them, try to at least open your mind a little and ponder the meaning of the term "greenhouse gases". then you'll understand why the "global warming gang" isn't terribly concerned about sucking heat out of the ground.

But maybe there's a deeper reason why you've "never understood".

[markie1111]

it's been a bugaboo of mine for a while. it seems to me that in as much as sovereign wealth funds work, that the us government should be sanely developing electical power from the vast geothermal resource it has. that the "profits" be used to support its entitlements. (the TVA worked). whether the electicity generated is used to make H2 on site or sent DC across the the nation or whatever, is up to people smarter than i. this nation can no longer afford to let it resources become profit for some whilst the masses get screwwed.

[GrayOwl]

I agree. Go with what a location offers. Solar in sunny areas, geothermal in appropriate areas, wind in appropriate areas, tidal (or Gulf Stream) action in appropriate areas, hydro-electric in apporpriate areas. If all else fails, there must be some way to harness all that hot air on Capitol Hill and use it for something constructive (for a change).

[mergina]

Why does the cost of everything keep escalating, even our own survival as a species?

Do brokers and speculators set prices, "oh, ok, today the price of an ibeam is $4000.00?"

Why must anything cost as much as it does?

I guess it is the same old story....welcome to planet $$$GREED$$$

[AninditaDey]

We all know that fuel based energy will not last long. Hence, all such initiatives should be welcome by thumping majority. And always bear in mind that there will be cynical people for everything that you do- just let them live in their own cynical-world.

[terryhallinan]

Too many environmentalists have been out in the sun too long.

Solar is the high cost option though it has superlative applications, such as in isolated locations.

While the MIT engineers dream of drilling really, really deep and and artificially creating aquifers, a single shallower geothermal resource in California (the Salton Sea KGRA [Known Geothermal Resource Area]) might provide all the electricity used by California today and then some. Speculative certainly but we don't much cotton to geothermal in this country. Most of our development funds come from Canada, Iceland and Israel despite generating more electricity from geothermal than any other country in the world.

Meanwhile Alaska with probably the greatest geothermal resources of all has a single geothermal power installation at Chena Hot Springs Spa north of Faribanks that utilizes relatively tepid water from a hot spring to bust the world record for generating power from low entropy waters.

Thanks, Treehugger. You done good. The word is creeping out but way too slowly.

Best, Terry

[research]

BS. Solar and wind can both satisfy the USA's electrical needs for about 1 T$ over 10 years.
NanoSolar and other are selling 1$/Peak watt solar, about 4$ per average watts, going down rapidly when the millions being put into new factories is done.

Wind is already just 1.4 per average watt installed.

See my profile for details, links and calculations.

Geothermal has two huge problems: Earthquakes and cooling the earths Core.

Google Geothermal Earthquakes
http://scitizen.com/stories/Future-Energies/2007/09/Swiss-Geothermal-Energy-Project-Causes-earthquakes-/

The total Deep geothermal reserves are only half of the energy the sun shines on earth every year.
If we cool the earths core enough for it to thicken or solidify, we lose our magnetic fields and die.

[Sumocat]

Solar and wind get the most attention because solar works wherever the sun shines and wind wherever the wind blows. Geothermal is a great solution in specific locations, but steam vents and hot springs don't exist everywhere. Thus, geothermal gets less national attention, but certainly it should be a bigger deal than solar or wind in those states that can reap the benefits.