DOE Invests in Enhanced Geothermal Systems

The Department of Energy has announced $12 million in funding for geothermal technologies to support the Biden administration’s net-zero mission.

The effort will target advancements in enhanced geothermal systems, which are man-made reservoirs designed to exploit resources out of the reach of most conventional techniques.

EGS technologies create geothermal resources in “hot rocks” through various methods, including the injection of fluids that can be heated by the natural warmth of the Earth’s core. The fluids then produce steam that spins a turbine to create clean and renewable energy, DOE said.

DOE said the funding will support the development and deployment of technologies and techniques to control the flow of liquids injected in EGS reservoirs.

The effort will reduce the reservoirs’ longevity, lower EGS costs, reduce the risk of development and accelerate the technology’s commercialization, according to the department.

“Enhanced geothermal systems harness the clean, renewable energy that lives right beneath our feet—available at any time, in any weather, in any part of the country,” said Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm.

She added that geothermal energy has the potential to power millions of homes and businesses and create thousands of clean, competitive jobs.

In 2019, DOE’s Geothermal Technologies Office concluded that such investments could increase geothermal power generation by 26 times.

The United States has only installed 3.7 GWe of geothermal energy, which is short of the department’s goal of 60 GWe of clean energy by 2050. 

DOE said that applications for its “Innovative Methods to Control Hydraulic Properties of EGS” will be accepted until June 15.