The Department of Energy on Feb. 13 announced the selection of three projects that will receive up to $60 million to demonstrate the efficacy and scalability of enhanced geothermal systems.
The three projects are:
- Chevron New Energies: This pilot demonstration “will use innovative drilling and stimulation techniques to access geothermal energy near an existing geothermal field in Sonoma County in northern California,” DOE said.
- Fervo Energy: This pilot within the Milford Renewable Energy Corridor in Utah and adjacent to the DOE’s Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy field laboratory aims to produce at least 8 megawatts of power from each of three wells at a site with no existing commercial geothermal power production.
- Mazama Energy: This project will demonstrate a first-of-its-kind super-hot EGS (temperatures above 375°C) on the western flank of Newberry Volcano in Oregon. This demonstration will help advance the science needed to operate in extreme heat conditions.
Geothermal resources currently generate about four gigawatts of electricity in the United States, but a recent DOE analysis shows that advancing EGS could provide 90 gigawatts of firm, flexible power to the U.S. grid by 2050, as well as support heating and cooling solutions nationwide, DOE said.
These projects are the first round of selections under the EGS Pilot Demonstrations funding opportunity announcement.
The second-round funding opportunity will cover EGS demonstrations in the eastern United States.
These projects are funded by DOE’s Geothermal Technologies Office in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
Learn more about EGS, the EGS pilot projects, and DOE’s other EGS research.
Selection for award negotiations is not a commitment by DOE to issue an award or provide funding.
Before funding is issued, DOE and the applicants will undergo a negotiation process, and DOE may cancel negotiations and rescind the selection for any reason during that time, the agency said.
