Geothermal Heating

One of the most exciting ideas in recent years is called "Hot Dry Rock Geothermal Power" and very basically, areas of potential geothermal power production that are too arid to support actual steam pockets, are filled with water so they may be rejuvenated. This method, as long as water is available to be pumped in, has the potential to vastly increase the number of sites in western North America that are suitable for geothermal power production and greatly reduce the cost of production.

Geysers and steam pockets filled with superheated water under pressure are created when a water filled cavern is close enough to magma that the rocks are heated to hundreds of degrees, as is the water within. In the case of the so-called "hot, dry rocks," all the water has either already been liberated as steam or was never there in the first place.

These hot springs-in-training caverns exist throughout western North America. Injecting even just a few of the larger ones and building power generation plants there could double the geothermal power output of the United States (already the world leader in terms of amount produced) overnight. The use of such power plants would offset a truly staggering amount of carbon.

The other very appealing aspect of this process, also called Enhanced Geothermal Systems or EGS, is the ability to greatly reduce the cost of geothermal power production. Essentially, engineers will be able to create ideal conditions on which to drill steam taps, hopefully controlling the conditions they create. This allows them to choose sites that are more easily accessible and to use equipment they already have. These cost savings are passed on to customers in some form, and the price could fall below that of petroleum or coal.

Because of these potential benefits, the US Department of Energy has become interested in this process, testing out a site in the desert southwest called NAVY-1. From here, they will issue official recommendations for the process. If things are successful, it is likely this could also generate a political will, especially if there's money to be made.

Older geothermal plants that exist on sites that have been extensively drilled can be rejuvenated by injecting water back into them, and The Geysers (the largest geothermal power plant in North America) has been having success with the process since beginning their program in the early 'aughts. This dramatically lowers the cost of geothermal production, because new plants don't have to be built - making geothermal power truly "renewable" for this application.

Geothermal Heating |