Missouri University of Science and Technology is launching a new geothermalenergy project intended to eliminate the need for an on-campus coal and woodchip-fired power plant. In addition to saving up to $2.8 million/year in energy costs, the new system will eliminate the need for $26 million deferred maintenance costs and cut campus water usage by 8 million gallons per year.
A proposal to transport electricity generated at a geothermal plant from Iceland to the UK is being considered. Several projects in Europe might also transport electricity generated from renewable sources.
“Non-hydroelectric renewable generation has increased in many states over the past decade. In 2011, Maine had the highest percentage of non-hydroelectric renewable generation, at 27% of total in-state generation, up from 20% in 2001 (see maps). South Dakota and Iowa followed, with 21% and 17%, respectively, in 2011, up from 1% and less than one percent in 2001. Wind is the largest driver of this increase across all states.” Quoted from the Energy Information Administration press release.
Shallow wells drilled outside of the geology building as part of an upper-level hydrology course have launched Tufts University into a geothermal heating and cooling program.
A process known as hydro-shearing is being used to develop a geothermal resource near Newberry Crater. The process involved pumping large volumes of water into subsurface rock units with the goal of widening existing fractures. This contrasts with hydraulic fracturing which is done using higher pressures with a goal of creating new fractures.
Ball State University just started pumping water through what will be the largest ground-source, closed-loop geothermal system in the United States. The project is still under construction but is partially operational. It will eventually have three wellfields and 3600 wells, heating and cooling 47 buildings, and saving $2 million per year.
“Drilling for geothermalenergy is still the most difficult drilling on a cost-per-foot basis,” [...] “You have to go through the hardest rock, sometimes at high temperatures and pressures.” Quoted from the Sandia Labs press release.
The Energy Information Administration forecasts that United States non-hydro renewable power generation growth over the next 25 years will be led by gains in wind and biomass.
William Fritz and Robert Thomas have completed a second edition of the popular Roadside Geology of Yellowstone Country. This 6″x9″ paperback has 311 pages that are packed with detailed information about Yellowstone Geology.
An article on the Bloomberg.com website explores how the United States is starting to approach energy self-sufficiency with rising oil output, developing shale gas fields and growth in renewable sources.
A computer data center needs enormous amounts of electricity and heavy-duty air conditioning. Iceland has a great climate for obtaining free cool air and lots of geothermal electricity.
“For decades, however, scientists have wondered if the less volatile subsurface in areas such as Texas could provide economically viable locations for geothermal power.” Quoted from the University of Texas at Austin press release.
“Today, for the most part, higher education for students interested in energy lacks the cross-disciplinary curriculum that they critically need, and so we propose the adoption of energy departments on college campuses, departments that would tie seemingly disconnected fields of the sector together.” Quoted from the article.
In addition to the Bakken Formation, lots of new energy is being tapped in North Dakota’s subsurface. During 2011, geothermal energy installations were up by 26% over 2010.
Instead of digging trenches or drilling a vertical well to install a geothermal system, some contractors will drill horizontal wells. This allows installation without digging trenches and the wells can travel under buildings, parking lots, athletic fields and more.
An article on the Oregon Public Broadcasting website describes the proposed use of fluid injection as part of an enhanced geothermal system that will utilize wells drilled on the flank of Newberry Crater. The U.S. Department of Energy is putting $22 million into the project. USGS has a recently installed seismic array that will monitor earthquakes produced by the injection.
Researchers at Montana State University are monitoring geothermal change beneath Yellowstone National Park in an effort to determine if commercial development of geothermal energy outside of the Park might damage Old Faithful and other park resources.
A 35-storey mixed-use building is being constructed in Montreal, Canada that will be heated and cooled by 19 wells that have been drilled to depths of 400 feet beneath the foundation.
Ball State University is building a geothermal system to heat and cool 46 buildings (6.7 million square feet) using thousands of boreholes. The multi-year project will retire a coal-fired boiler system.
The Energy Information Administration has an article that explores the sources of primary energy in the United States. Primary energy includes petroleum, natural gas, coal, nuclear fuel, and renewable energy.
An article on The Columbus Dispatch website reports that about twenty-five schools in Ohio are currently working on geothermal heating and cooling projects. Ohio has a long history of school geothermal projects and at one time had the largest building in North America with geothermal heat – a 240,000 square foot middle school with 300 wells and 143 heat pumps.
A new geothermal map of Australia shows that the continent has an enormous geothermal potential. The map was supported by Google.org who also funded geothermal mapping in the United States.
This is not news but a 2006 report from MIT titled: The Future of GeothermalEnergy – Impact of Enhanced Geothermal Systems on the United States in the 21st Century provides an excellent presentation on EGS.
The EIA Annual Energy Review contains maps showing the geographic distribution of renewable energy potential that includes: geothermal, onshore wind, offshore wind, concentrating solar, photovoltaic solar and biomass.
Data from the Energy Information Administration show that net imports of energy into the United States has fallen sharply in the past year. Some of this decline can be attributed to new sources of unconventional oil and gas along with renewable energy projects coming online.
Reno, Nevada has built a 100 megawatt geothermal plant that has the ability to supply the entire residential demand for the city. This video visits the plant and explains some advantages of using geothermal.
The Bogoria-Silali geothermal project in Kenya is intended to bring 2000 MW of power at a development cost of $3.4 billion. Kenya hosts East Africa’s largest economy and is fortunate to be crossed by the East African Rift Valley, a source of geothermal heat.
A presentation at the National Speleological Society annual meeting featured the Elephant Mountain vapor caves. These caves have a constant temperature of 86 degrees Fahrenheit and are heated by hot springs. Other caves in Colorado have typical temperatures of about 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
The Geological Survey of Canada has published a report titled: “GeothermalEnergy Resource Potential of Canada”. You can download a copy of the report at the Natural Resources Canada website after confirming their end-user agreement. It is a large .pdf document and takes a few minutes to arrive.
“A CO2 Plume Geothermal system (CPG) provides a number of advantages over other geothermal systems. [...] First, CO2 travels more easily than water through porous rock, so it can extract heat more readily. As a result, CPG can be used in regions where conventional geothermal electricity production would not make sense from a technical or economic standpoint. [...] CPG also offers the benefit of preventing CO2 from reaching the atmosphere by sequestering it deep underground, where it cannot contribute to climate change. In addition, because pure CO2 is less likely than water to dissolve the material around it, CPG reduces the risk of a geothermal system not being able to operate for long times due to “short-circuiting” or plugging the flow of fluid through the hot rocks.” Quoted from the University of Minnesota press release.
“To promote the mapping and development of United States geothermal resources by establishing a direct loan program for high risk geothermal exploration wells, to amend the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to improve geothermal energy technology and demonstrate the use of geothermal energy in large scale thermal applications, and for other purposes.”
Surface disturbance from oil and gas wells in one square mile, Weld County, Colorado.
Colorado and New Mexico are endowed with multiple energy resources: oil and gas, shale gas, coal bed methane, uranium, geothermal, wind, and solar, and thus represent a microcosm of issues that affect the Western United States. Increased demand for energy—renewable and nonrenewable—drives the intensified development of all forms of energy in the region.
Resource managers and other decisionmakers are expected to balance the benefits of the rapid development of energy resources in light of their potential effects on these other resources.
“A report launched today by the International Energy Agency shows that there is potential to achieve at least a tenfold increase in the global production of heat and electricity from geothermal energy – heat emitted from within the earth’s crust – between now and 2050.” Quoted from the IEA press release.
“The method is expected to not only produce renewable electricity far more efficiently than conventional geothermal systems, but also help reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) — dealing a one-two punch against climate change.” Quoted from the University of Minnesota news release
The Wall Street Journal has a very interesting article titled: “Inconvenient Truths About ‘Renewable’ Energy”. The article takes a detailed look at the renewable sources of energy and how realistically they can be scaled and sustained.
The location of Japan on the ring of fire gives it an enormous potential for geothermalenergy development. The country ranks 8th in the world in installed capacity but 3rd in geothermal potential.
Rangers at Yellowstone National Park handed out citations carrying fines of $125 to tourists who ventured beyond prominent signs and got too close to Old Faithful geyser – that blasts scalding hot water every 90 minutes.
National Public Radio has a podcast that explains the benefits that geothermal heating and cooling technology brings to homeowners. Geothermal can be very economical and you may qualify for substantial tax credits.
“The North Carolina Botanical Garden’s Education Center is one of the most energy efficient and sustainable buildings in the UNC system. The building saves about 50 percent of its energy solely by using a geothermal heating system.” Quoted from reesenews.
The GeothermalEnergy Association has released a report on the status of geothermal power production in the United States. Electric power is being produced from geothermal resources in nine states. Nevada is the leader in the number of projects and California is the leader in installed capacity.
In 1923 drilling for hot water near Lakeview, Oregon accidentally developed a man-made geyser that still erupts today and serves as an important tourist attraction. The owners are concerned that a geothermal project planned for an adjacent property will damage the geyser.
In October 2010 researchers from Southern Methodist University discovered an enormous geothermal resource beneath eastern West Virginia. Now government agencies in the state are exploring how it might be developed.
Most of Nicaragua’s power is currently generated by burning fossil fuels, however, their San Jacinto geothermal plant is being enlarged from 10 MW to 72 MW.
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