Latest news with #EGS
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
An underground lab in South Dakota could prove key in advancing the next generation of geothermal energy needed to power the digital age
The deepest laboratory in the United States provides a unique test bed for the study of enhanced geothermal systems. Dr. Chet Hopp, with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Lead, SD, May 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- With a total depth of 8000 feet, the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) is a one-of-a-kind location for experiments that are pioneering new ways to harness heat stored deep inside the earth. SURF has hosted a series of geothermal initiatives over the last decade, the latest is the Center for Understanding Subsurface Signals and Permeability (CUSSP). The multi-institutional project, led by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), could revolutionize the production of electricity by allowing the construction of geothermal power plants almost anywhere on the planet. As the digital age increases the demand for energy, these new Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) have the potential to help meet the nation's growing need for electricity. In the most basic sense, EGS technology involves cold water pumped into deep wells where it is heated by the Earth and returned to the surface as hot water or steam that will spin a turbine for the creation of electricity. Enhanced geothermal technology is the next frontier for energy deployment with the potential to power more than 65 million American homes and businesses. The tech sector is leading the way in developing EGS. In late 2023 tech giant Google, in partnership with geothermal startup Fervo Energy, announced the completion of the first enhanced geothermal energy power plant in the country. Like all fledgling technology, research is required to improve and advance its potential. EGS has challenges to overcome; for example, the underground fractures where heat is transferred to the fluid can become clogged. Over time, the water that is pumped into deep underground fractures can leave behind minerals that slow or stop the flow, in same way the water pipes in an old house can become mineralized and clogged. 'The big unknown is how long these reservoirs will last,' said Kevin Rosso, director of CUSSP. 'We are seeing successful EGS pilot projects all around the world right now that prove this technology works. But we don't know if these underground reservoirs will continue to produce heat effectively at the same rates for decades.' Rosso is a Battelle fellow and the associate director of the Physical Sciences Division for Geochemistry at PNNL. He says CUSSP aims to ensure that EGS power plants provide a return on investment. 'Whether or not these installations will be economical is still unproven territory at the moment. This is where CUSSP is out in front, working to answer these questions,' Rosso said. Searching for Signals in the Noise There are many variables to consider when working to keep enhanced geothermal systems from clogging up over time. The water chemistry, rock types, heat, pressure, and the rates of flow through underground fractures are some of the factors that can vary and change. The geothermal test bed, located on the 4100 level of SURF, is a place where many of these variables can be controlled and understood. 'That's one of the exciting things about this location. Here we have control over water temperature, water chemistry, and we know the rock types, and that's something that's never been done before,' Rosso said. Another challenge is the chemical reactions that lead to mineralization and clogging of fractures deep inside geothermal systems that normally occur miles underground–where they can't be seen. This is where remote sensing comes in. At SURF, scientists can employ a wide variety of sensing equipment in the test bed, from water and rock temperature and chemistry measurements to seismometers and electrical resistivity sensors, all of which help researchers better understand what is happening underground. 'We have multiple geophysical sensors collecting terabytes of data in real-time during these flow experiments,' Rosso said. 'The experiment allows us to learn what the signals look like that correspond to certain processes we see happening.' This ability to search for signals in the noise and corollate them with what's happening underground at SURF allows CUSSP scientists to build a better understanding of the complex processes that govern geothermal systems—and build better models that can be used across multiple geothermal extraction sites. 'Developing the ability to understand the chemistry remotely with geophysical signals is very exciting, and also very challenging,' said Jeff Burghardt, an Earth Scientist at PNNL who is working on parallel geothermal research at SURF. 'It's sort of a moonshot idea at this point, but I think we have a plausible path forward to being able to do it, and that would be a game changer.' A multidisciplinary collaboration that is building the next generation STEM workforce leaders in America The complexity of these problems requires large teams with a range of skills. CUSSP includes a collaboration of 40 researchers assisted by many undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral students. This means geochemists and geophysicists are rubbing shoulders with mechanical engineers and computational scientists, all who are working together to achieve the same goals. 'It's really exciting to see multiple disciplines coming together, rallying around a really focused problem,' said Rosso. One of the co-principal investigators on CUSSP is Alexis Navarre-Sitchler, a geochemist and professor in the geology and geological engineering department at Colorado School of Mines. Navarre-Sitchler shares Rosso's excitement. 'This is the science that is taking us into the future,' Navarre-Sitchler said. 'This effort to lay the scientific groundwork and to invest in the fundamental research needed to develop geothermal in efficient and responsible ways will ensure longevity of these projects in the future. It's a very fulfilling project to be involved in.' Rosso notes the mix of leading researchers, postdocs, and students who find this work fulfilling are also those who will continue to push the field of geothermal energy forward in the coming decades. 'You know, CUSSP is an engine for the next generation of leaders who will be calling the shots for enhanced geothermal systems. I'm particularly excited about just seeing the students working on this project, many of them will make their careers here. And at the same time the nation will get a workforce of experts to help lead the country forward in geothermal energy.' The work at SURF also complements investments at other DOE geothermal facilities like the Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy (FORGE) in Utah. SURF is one of 16 deep underground laboratories around the world. Other labs in countries like China, Canada, Russia, Italy, and the United Kingdom are all competing for similar advancements in underground science. Attachment Dr. Chet Hopp, with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory CONTACT: Mike Ray Sanford Underground Research Facility 605.571.2314 cray@ in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Opinion: Cutting red tape for a geothermal boom
The United States is in the middle of a national energy emergency. It's going to take an all-of-the-above approach to get out of it, and Utah is poised to lead the way in the West. Our state has vast, untapped power beneath our feet including geothermal energy. Harnessing it will help us achieve energy security, create jobs and boost our economy. But to do so, we need to cut bureaucratic red tape. To highlight this need, I brought my colleagues on the House Committee on Natural Resources to southern Utah to tour a cutting-edge geothermal energy facility and hear from local and expert witnesses. Geothermal energy is piquing interest in D.C. and across the country for its unique ability to generate a large amount of baseload power. Here's how it works: steam or hot water is extracted from beneath Earth's surface to power turbines that generate electricity. What sets geothermal apart from other renewable energy sources like wind and solar is its reliability. The reservoirs beneath the surface are consistent and readily available. Utah is an ideal place to advance geothermal energy. It lies on the edge of the Basin and Range Province, a mountain range where the Earth's crust stretches, creates large faults and allows heat to rise to the Earth's surface. We're also home to the Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy, a cutting-edge research and development facility, which is key to positioning Utah at the forefront of geothermal energy development. Southern Utah especially has an abundance of geothermal potential, particularly near small, rural towns. Fervo Energy, just outside Milford, Utah, is developing enhanced geothermal systems (EGS), like the one we toured today, that could potentially be a game changer for geothermal energy production. Similar to hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas, EGS uses advanced drilling equipment and the injection of fluids into the subsurface to access geothermal resources that are not naturally located in reservoirs with the characteristics sufficient for conventional hydrothermal energy production. Increased permeability allows fluid to circulate throughout the fractured rock and to transport heat to the surface. EGS has the potential to greatly expand geothermal energy's domestic footprint — enabling development in shallow depth, hot dry rock regions across the U.S. However, bureaucratic red tape continues to stand in the way of a geothermal energy boom. A complex permitting process, particularly on federal lands, creates uncertainty and slows down projects. Permits are required for everything from exploration, land access and leasing, drilling, and production. Developers face years of delay and duplicative federal reviews. This is a major issue in the West, where a majority of our land is owned by the federal government. During the hearing, we will hear from witnesses who will share their experiences with permitting these facilities on federal land. Their testimony will shine light on issues that must be addressed by Congress and the new administration. I've already introduced three bills to address some of the issues facing geothermal energy producers. The FREE Act, to speed up our permitting process through permit-by-rule. The Geothermal Energy Opportunity Act, to expedite the approval process for geothermal drilling projects within 60 days. Finally, I'm co-leading the Streamlining Thermal Energy through Advanced Mechanisms Act to streamline geothermal permitting to mirror that of oil and gas wells. By unleashing geothermal energy, we will create high-skilled jobs in engineering, construction, research and much more. Moreover, a robust geothermal industry can stimulate economic growth through local partnerships, infrastructure development and increased tax revenue, positioning Utah as a leader in renewable energy technology. Utah has the potential to be a leader in renewable energy and be a key player in helping us secure U.S. energy independence. We're ready to tap into more geothermal resources here in the state. Cutting red tape and reforming our outdated permitting process is essential to making that happen.
Mint
22-04-2025
- Business
- Mint
Rely on modern geothermal energy to power our AI ambitions
If data is the fuel that powers the digital revolution, data centres are the tanks in which they are stored, primed and kept ready for use when needed. This is why any country looking to play a role in the digital future of the world has no choice but to make sure it has the capacity of a data centre to support that ambition. Today, India's operational data centre capacity stands at about 1.25 gigawatts (GW). This is likely to grow to 3.4-3.5GW by 2030 at best. We trail far behind the US, where, in Ashburn, Virginia, alone, there is 4.5GW worth of data centre capacity that is on track to grow to 15GW. If India wants to be competitive in artificial intelligence (AI), it must scale up to at least 5GW by 2030 and 35GW by 2047. We must not only navigate the current global shortage of graphics processing units (GPUs) and implement significant policy reforms, but also find sufficient sources of clean energy to power these facilities. Most experts believe nuclear energy is the answer. Of all the commonly available sources of power, this offers the sort of high-density, zero-emission baseload power that data centres require. This is why many AI companies in the US have begun work on restarting decommissioned nuclear power plants. It is also why so many believe that India should follow suit. When the finance minister announced in this year's budget speech that the government was going to amend both the Atomic Energy Act and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, it was widely believed that a major impetus for this long-awaited reform was the digital ecosystem's power demands. As glad as I am that we will finally remove hurdles in the way of building nuclear power plants in the country, we cannot rely on nuclear energy alone to solve our data centre problem. It takes anywhere from eight to 10 years to build even a small modular reactor, and that is way more time than we have. We need energy solutions that scale in years, not decades—and offer the reliability of nuclear energy with none of the risk, the cleanliness of renewables without intermittency, and the locality of distribution without any need to first acquire large tracts of land. One solution that fits the bill is enhanced geothermal energy. Unlike its conventional counterpart (which uses heat from naturally occurring hot-water reservoirs near the earth's surface), enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) use sophisticated drilling techniques to create reservoirs deep below the surface of the earth where rock layers are dry and the temperature can go as high as 200° Celsius. Water is then pumped into these man-made reservoirs, and, once it gets converted into steam, is used to drive turbines that generate electricity. To be clear, the upfront development cost of an EGS plant does exceed that of a solar or a wind project and there is also a not-insignificant exploration risk in finding an ideal location to sink a geothermal well. Even though the development timeline for EGS plants—typically 3-5 years from exploration to production—is shorter than nuclear, it is still much longer than the time it typically takes to get a solar or wind project up and running. That said, this technology is highly efficient, with a capacity factor of 90% (as compared to 25-40% in wind and solar). What's more, EGS projects use far less land than other renewable energy projects, producing as much energy as a solar farm from roughly 1% of the land. This means these plants can be built in and around urban centres that have easy access to high-capacity fibre networks and various telecom providers. This is perfect for data centres that need high-quality uninterrupted power supply and connectivity that is good enough for low-latency applications. A number of regions in India have been identified as being suitable for EGS plants. This includes the Puga Valley in Ladakh, Cambay basin in Gujarat, Godavari Basin in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and parts of the western coastal regions of Maharashtra and Gujarat. Among these, the best location for a well that supports data centres might be somewhere along the west coast of the country, where most of our cable landing stations terminate. In 2016, the Union ministry of new and renewable energy published a draft geothermal policy suggesting that geothermal energy would form a significant part of India's long-term energy mix. Not much has been done about this since then, which is unfortunate, given that Indonesia, with similar resources, is already generating 2.3GW of geothermal power. Our AI ambitions depend heavily on our ability to augment our data centre capacity rapidly. This, in turn, depends on us making sure that we have an abundance of clean and reliable power to do so. EGS presents a rare alignment of technological, environmental and strategic feasibility, and we should take concrete steps to make it happen. The first thing we need to do is resurrect the 2016 draft geothermal policy and allow companies to set up captive EGS plants to power their data centre facilities. If the government were to subsidize the cost of geothermal exploration, that would help us identify suitable locations for these plants. Done right, we should be able to create data centre corridors in and around our geothermal hotspots and then leverage our cable landing stations accordingly. If we start now, by the time these facilities come on-stream in 3-5 years, the accelerated expansion of our data centre capacity will be ready to absorb their output. The author is a partner at Trilegal and the author of 'The Third Way: India's Revolutionary Approach to Data Governance'. His X handle is @matthan.
Globe and Mail
18-03-2025
- Science
- Globe and Mail
Why Geothermal is the Hot Ticket to Low-Carbon Data Centers?
Geothermal energy has great potential, but it has been underused for years. Although it's been available for over a century, its global impact has been limited. New drilling and resource management technologies, many from the oil and gas sector, are now lowering costs and tapping into deeper reservoirs. These innovations could make geothermal a crucial part of future energy systems, especially for the proliferating data centers. Data Centers' Power Hunger: The Next Energy Crisis? Data centers have seen a sharp rise in electricity use in recent years, starting from a small base. A December 2024 report from Lawrence Berkeley Lab (LBL) found that data center power demand grew by 20-25% each year in the early 2020s. Their share of total U.S. electricity use rose from about 2% in 2020 to around 4.5% in 2024. By 2028, data centers will consume between 325 and 580 TWh of electricity, accounting for 6.7% to 12% of total U.S. energy use. Source: Lawrence Berkeley Lab Tech giants like Amazon, Microsoft, and Meta are expanding quickly. This growth pushes utilities and policymakers to find sustainable energy solutions. Geothermal Energy's Role in Low-Carbon Future Geothermal energy harnesses Earth's heat to produce electricity with minimal emissions. Unlike wind and solar, which depend on weather, geothermal plants run at over 90% capacity. This ensures a stable power supply. According to EIA, geothermal power plants create electricity without burning fuel, leading to very low pollution. They emit 97% less sulfur and 99% less carbon dioxide than similar fossil fuel plants. These plants use scrubbers to remove hydrogen sulfide from natural reservoirs. They then inject the used steam and water back into the earth. This process helps renew the resource and reduces emissions. The U.S. DOE revealed that, By 2050, geothermal energy can avoid up to 516 million metric tons (MMT) of CO₂ equivalent emissions. This is comparable to removing 6 million cars from the road per year. Geysers and fumaroles in places like Yellowstone National Park are protected by law and are national treasures. Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS): The Next Big Power Play for Data Centers The U.S. has about 4 GW of geothermal capacity, mainly in California and Nevada. Traditional geothermal taps into naturally occurring steam or hot water. Next-gen geothermal tech, called Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS), uses advanced drilling. This method taps into heat from deep rock layers. This expands its potential beyond the Western states. EGS provides a great solution to rising energy needs and helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions. By deploying EGS at data centers, companies can generate clean and reliable power. This makes geothermal a viable option for sustainable growth. Rhodium Group says geothermal energy could supply 55-64% of data center energy needs by the early 2030s. Large-scale data centers run by Amazon, Microsoft, and other tech giants will need about 27 GW of power by 2030. Of this, 15-17 GW could come from geothermal facilities built at hyperscale data centers. With strategic placement near optimal geothermal sites, energy costs could drop by up to 45%. In a broader scenario, geothermal could supply at least 15% of power in 20 out of 28 key data center hubs. Most geothermal potential lies in the western U.S., but cities like Northern Virginia, Chicago, Columbus, and Memphis also have promise. Only Atlanta and New York City have limited potential for on-site geothermal. Source: Rhodium report Direct Cooling: A Smart Energy Solution Geothermal can also cool data centers effectively. AI-driven facilities generate excessive heat, increasing the need for advanced cooling systems. Instead of relying on electric methods like adiabatic or liquid cooling, geothermal can directly manage temperatures. Here's how: Geothermal heat pumps use underground pipes to cool IT components efficiently. Geothermal absorption chillers use low-grade heat to create cooling through evaporation. Shallow aquifers offer another way to access stable underground temperatures for cooling. By reducing the need for deep drilling, these methods lower costs and minimize water use—an advantage in water-scarce regions. The Future of Geothermal Power An NREL report predicts geothermal will make up 1.94% of U.S. generating capacity by 2035 and 3.94% by 2050. Geothermal energy runs steadily. Its impact on clean energy is much greater when we look at total electricity generation. Source: NREL According to DOE, the U.S. grid will need 700-900 GW of extra firm capacity by 2050. Next-gen geothermal could provide 90-300 GW. In many decarbonization plans, solar PV and onshore wind are key players. Battery storage and natural gas provide backup support. Source: DOE Despite its low carbon potential, geothermal cooling isn't widely used due to high upfront costs. Tax credits and utility incentives help data centers save energy and cut emissions. Some companies are investing in it. However, more research is needed. This will help improve efficiency and tackle issues like heat buildup in certain climates. On a positive note, DOE revealed that costs could drop to $60-70/MWh by 2030. The U.S. Department of Energy's Enhanced Geothermal Shot™ aims for $45/MWh by 2035. Tech Giants Invest in Geothermal Energy Major tech companies are investing in geothermal. In June 2024, Alphabet teamed up with NV Energy. They secured 115 MW of geothermal power from Fervo Energy. A few months later, Meta partnered with Sage Geosystems. They aimed to supply geothermal power to data centers located east of the Rocky Mountains. This marked a first for the region. Data centers will pay a 20% premium for green energy over standard rates. This analysis shows that geothermal energy could transform data center power and cooling. With support from innovation and policy, it offers a reliable, low-emission option. As demand grows, it drives the industry toward sustainability.
The Guardian
03-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘I focus on the person, not the disability': the photographer on a mission to make India inclusive
For Bikram Bhattarai, getting to school meant being carried by his father, Narpati, across the hilly terrain of Gangtok in the north Indian region of Sikkim. The half-hour journey each way was especially treacherous when the rains came and Bhattarai, who was born without arms, sometimes had to ask classmates to help carry him, too. Now 21, he is at college studying history and enjoys writing poetry and listening to rappers including Eminem and Nepal's Yama Buddha. But his true passion is art, he says, as he shares a sketch of an open palm holding a butterfly, drawn with his feet. Bikram Bhattarai, a college student from Gangtok in Sikkim who was born without arms, loves art and has taught himself to draw with his feet 'Seeing my big sister inspired me. Seeing how she used her hands, I started using my toes the same way,' says Bhattarai. His story is one of 100 collected in a new book by photographer Vicky Roy, who has spent four years travelling across India's 28 states and eight territories capturing the experiences of people living with the 21 disabilities recognised by the Indian government. For the project, Roy spends a day with each subject and their stories are translated and published, one a week, by volunteers. 'I focus on the person, not the disability; to show them not as objects of pity but as ordinary human beings pursuing their simple everyday dreams,' he says. Photographer Vicky Roy collected 100 stories of people living with disabilities to include in the book With its title written in English and braille, the book is part of a 10-year project of the same name, Everyone is Good at Something (EGS), launched in 2021. In February, Roy presented his work at the Jaipur literature festival and has also shown it at the UN in New York and Delhi, with exhibitions in Japan and elsewhere. EGS grew out of a mission by Roy and VR Ferose, founder of the India Inclusion Foundation (IIF), to spread awareness and combat taboos by sharing stories of disability over 10 years and beyond. The IIF aims to 'make India inclusive' by 2030, the UN deadline for achieving the sustainable development goals. Stigma around disability in India is reflected by the fact that the census records only about 2% of the population as having disabilities, compared with a world average of about 15%. This suggests families are hiding issues, and many may not know about rights enshrined in India's 2016 Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, says Ferose. Vicky Roy, right, with VR Ferose, founder of the India Inclusion Foundation 'Attitudes have been slowly changing around disability in India,' says Ferose, an engineer based in California, who began working on disability rights after his son was born with autism. 'I believe many respond [to the stories] because we're helping invisible people be seen, especially in rural areas … others want to support them.' Manisha Kumari Mahto, who was born with cerebral palsy, is unable to speak but communicates using sign In Huppu village in eastern Jharkhand, Manisha Kumari Mahto's parents Mahto and Savita Devi at first believed she could be cured when she was born with cerebral palsy. The little girl is unable to move about or speak, but communicates through signs. 'I love listening to songs and I try to dance to them,' she says. Roy has travelled by plane, bus, bike, bullock cart and on foot, even during the pandemic, since he began the project in 2021. It was in remote rural areas that he often received the warmest welcome, he says, and would leave with parcels of food for the journey home. He estimates he has covered about 62,000 miles (100,000km) for EGS. Chhotray Hembram lost his feet as a baby and uses his knees to walk It took him three days to reach Chhotray Hembram, 19, who lives in the tribal region of Ghatkuanri in Bangriposi Tehsil, in the Mayurbhanj district of Odisha. The area had no mobile phone connection and finding an Odia interpreter wasn't easy. Hembram has walked on his knees for most of his life, after his feet were burned as a baby as he slept next to a cooking fire, while his parents were passed out from drinking alcohol. He had believed 'there is nothing much a disabled person can do'. But Roy connected Hembram with a local charity and helped to arrange training to become a mechanic at a garage about 12 miles away. Hembram is now training to become a mechanic, after Roy helped to put him in touch with a local charity On each visit Roy takes a fund of 10,000 rupees (about £92) to spend on something useful to the subject. In the book's preface, Ferose writes: 'We also had a golden rule: when we encounter a person in need, help them lead a life of dignity. So not only did we write the stories but behind the scenes we also supported people, building a roof in a school, donating a laptop, buying a wheelchair or disability vehicle, giving cricket balls and more.' The book relates many encounters with those who have helped expand opportunities in education, sport or work. Satyavati Pandranki was five when she contracted polio in Mentada, in Andhra Pradesh, and says her parents wanted to give her 'the best education possible' so that she could lead an independent life, after the disease limited her mobility. Satyavati Pandranki has limited mobility after contracting polio as a child. Her life was transformed after she took up wheelchair basketball in her 20s After completing her degree and teaching qualifications, she was introduced to the Global Aid charity in Vizianagaram, which led her into wheelchair basketball. Since then, she has represented India and trained as a coach. 'I was a girl who couldn't travel from my village to the next one. Now I have played basketball in foreign countries,' she says. Playing basketball has taken Pandranki around the world
