The US Department of Energy (DOE) has announced an investment of up to $31 million in six projects to advance geothermal energy technologies across the nation. This initiative focuses on developing enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) and demonstrating reservoir thermal energy storage (RTES) to address Industrial energy demands.
Geothermal energy currently supplies about four gigawatts of electricity in the US, but DOE studies suggest that advancements in EGS could generate at least 90 gigawatts by 2050 which is sufficient to power over 65 million homes. Unlike traditional geothermal methods that require natural subsurface water flow, EGS creates engineered reservoirs to exploit underground heat, potentially lowering operational costs.
Furthermore, the DOE is exploring RTES technology, which stores thermal energy directly in underground reservoirs for over 100 hours without electricity, presenting a viable alternative to conventional batteries that store electrical energy. This offers an alternative to traditional batteries and is ideal for heat-intensive industries. An RTES demonstration project aims to significantly cut industrial carbon emissions, aiding the US push for a net-zero emissions economy by 2050.
Clemson University, Innovative Downhole Solutions Inc., Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Schlumberger Technology Corporation and Project Development Solutions, Inc. are the projects selected for funding.
