The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced the allocation of up to $31 million for six projects aimed at advancing geothermal energy across the nation. This initiative aligns with President Biden and Vice President Harris’s Investing in America agenda and supports DOE’s Enhanced Geothermal Shot™ and Industrial Heat Shot™ goals.
"Expanding the use of new and innovative geothermal technologies will allow the United States to continue pushing forward into the frontier of the clean energy revolution by using the heat beneath our feet," stated U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. "These projects help achieve President Biden’s emissions reduction goals, strengthen U.S. competitiveness in this sector, and expand the types of clean and cost-effective energy solutions for American homes, businesses, and industry."
Geothermal resources currently produce approximately four gigawatts of electricity in the United States. However, a recent DOE analysis indicates that advancing enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) could generate at least 90 gigawatts by 2050, enough to power over 65 million U.S. homes.
Enhanced geothermal systems involve creating humanmade underground reservoirs to tap into subsurface heat for energy production. This process requires drilling into the subsurface and using wells to draw hot water or steam to the surface. Improving these methods can reduce costs associated with EGS, making geothermal electricity a more viable clean energy option.
Additionally, reservoir thermal energy storage (RTES) technology offers an alternative to traditional batteries by storing thermal energy directly in underground reservoirs for extended periods without electricity. RTES is particularly relevant for industries such as chemicals, food production, and forest products that consume significant amounts of heat energy.
The selected projects are:
- Clemson University (Clemson, SC): Development of an AI-enabled photoacoustic imaging tool for high-temperature well logging.
- Innovative Downhole Solutions Inc. (Houston, TX): Creation of a durable ultrasonic measurement tool for high-temperature geothermal environments.
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley, CA): Development of a borehole integrity evaluation tool designed for extreme conditions.
- Los Alamos National Laboratory (Los Alamos, NM): High-resolution acoustics-based tool development for evaluating EGS components.
- Schlumberger Technology Corporation (Houston, TX): Wireline tractor-conveyed system development for long-term integrity modeling.
- Project Development Solutions Inc. (Bakersfield, CA): Pilot RTES demonstration project at Kern Front Oil Field.
These initiatives are funded by DOE’s Geothermal Technologies Office within the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
It should be noted that selection for award negotiations does not guarantee funding issuance; both DOE and applicants must undergo a negotiation process where selections may be rescinded if necessary.
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