A new era for geothermal energy?

New techniques could make it abundantly available

Up to now, geothermal energy has only been harvested at places were local geology brings hot water and steam near the surface. An example is The Geysers in California, which has been operating for forty years and is still the largest geothermal project in the world (see former blog post).

New drilling techniques developed for oil and gas production could give the geothermal sector a new boost. Those techniques, such as the stimulation of wells, hydraulic fracturing, deep-well completion, and multiple horizontal laterals, allow engineers to create artificial geothermal reservoirs deep underground. This could make it possible to harvest geothermal energy virtually anywhere.

The MIT Laboratory for Energy and Environment estimated that the United States could meet ten percent of its current energy needs by geothermal energy in less than fifty years. Accomplishing this however will require sustained investments.

Geothermal energy has a significant advantage, compared to other carbon free renewable energy sources, in that it has a high availability (about 90%), meaning that geothermal power plants can be used for supplying base load power.

Reference

Article 'Abundant Geothermal Energy' in the MIT Technology Review