THE PROMISE OF ENHANCED GEOTHERMAL

Geothermal Energy: Is New Technology Resetting the Agenda?

Kennedy Maize, October 1, 2015 (Power Magazine)

“…Legendary venture capitalist Vinod Khosla, who made a pile of money in information technology and computers, is…making a wager on geothermal because…[unlike the sun and wind, geothermal energy offers round-the-clock generation…[T]he fundamental geological fact is that hot rocks are ubiquitous, although not always attractive for conventional geothermal technologies…because the easiest plays—high-pressure steam from underground turning turbine generators…—aren’t plentiful…[But] AltaRock Energy, backed by Khosla personally and through his venture capital company, Khosla Ventures…aims to use a technology that has proven revolutionary…[called enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) that drills] into the deep strata to reach hot rocks. Then the operators inject cold water at high pressure into the rock, breaking the strata apart, liberating heat, and producing plentiful hot water. The hot water, and steam, then flow up the well, where they can turn a turbine generator directly or run a binary system with a heat-transfer liquid…” click here for more

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