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Texas Geothermal Potential
February 9, 2012 | University of Texas at Austin

“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.

New Life for Undergraduate Energy Education
February 8, 2012 | Chronicle of Higher Education

“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.

North Dakota Geothermal Boom
January 30, 2012 | The Dickinson Press

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.

Horizontal Drilling for Residential Geothermal
January 9, 2012 | YouTube

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.

Deep Well Injection and Earthquakes in a Geothermal Field
December 26, 2011 | Oregon Public Broadcasting

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.

Related: A Department of Energy introduction to enhanced geothermal systems.

Could Commercial Geothermal Damage Old Faithful?
December 12, 2011 | Montana State University

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.

Geothermal Wells Under a 35-Storey Building
December 8, 2011 | Globe and Mail

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.

Largest Geothermal System in the USA
December 7, 2011 | ContractorMag.com

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.

Sources of Energy in the United States
November 29, 2011 | Energy Information Administration

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.

Heating Schools with Geothermal in Ohio
November 28, 2011 | The Columbus Dispatch

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.

Australia Geothermal Map
November 22, 2011 | Forbes

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.

MIT Report: The Future of Geothermal Energy (.pdf)
November 2, 2011 | MIT

This is not news but a 2006 report from MIT titled: The Future of Geothermal Energy – Impact of Enhanced Geothermal Systems on the United States in the 21st Century provides an excellent presentation on EGS.

United States Geothermal Map
November 1, 2011 | Southern Methodist University.

Southern Methodist University shares their new geothermal resources map of the United States that was funded by a grant from Google.com.

EIA Geothermal Resources Map
Renewable Energy Potential Maps
October 21, 2011 | Energy Information Administration

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.

US Energy Imports Fall Sharply
September 28, 2011 | Energy Information Administration

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.

Powering Reno, Nevada with Geothermal
August 31, 2011 | CNN Money

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.

Geothermal Opportunities in the United States
August 24, 2011 | State Geothermal Data

The National Geothermal Data System is a DOE-funded project that is assembling digital data to support geothermal energy exploration and development across the United States.

$3.4 Billion on Kenya Geothermal
July 29, 2011 | Engineering News

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.

Geothermal Caverns in Colorado
July 27, 2011 | Glenwood Springs Post Independent

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.

Geothermal Energy Resource Potential of Canada
July 15, 2011 | Natural Resources Canada

The Geological Survey of Canada has published a report titled: “Geothermal Energy 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.

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