Coming to a volcano near you - maybe

[Astronuc]

Oregon Volcano Considered for Federal Geothermal Energy Lab
http://energyenvironment.pnnl.gov/highlights/highlight.asp?id=1803

New ways to extract underground heat to produce electricity with enhanced geothermal systems[PLAIN]http://www.pnnl.gov/images/offsite.gif[/U] could be tested at a proposed research field observatory in central Oregon.

A team led by the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory[PLAIN]http://www.pnnl.gov/images/offsite.gif[/U] has been awarded $400K to develop plans for a potential field laboratory – called the Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy[PLAIN]http://www.pnnl.gov/images/offsite.gif[/U] , also known as FORGE – on the northwest side of Newberry Volcano near La Pine, Oregon. The observatory will allow researchers and developers to carefully test more efficient, less costly and innovative ways to extract underground heat where conventional geothermal power generation isn’t possible.

Conventional geothermal power brings to the surface hot water or steam that naturally circulates underground. The gathered fluids move through turbines to produce power. Enhanced geothermal energy involves pumping water underground to stimulate or enhance existing cracks in underground rocks to create an engineered geothermal system. Hot fluids and steam can then be extracted for power production. DOE estimates enhanced geothermal systems could allow the U.S. to generate as much as 100 gigawatts of renewable energy, or enough to power about 100 million homes.

So this can be applied along the Pacific coast (California, Oregon, Washington) but also places like Wyoming (think Yellowstone) as well.

 

[cpscdave]

Enhanced geothermal energy involves pumping water underground to stimulate or enhance existing cracks

Wonder what the anti-frackers will think of this. Especially since this would be done in an already geologically unstable region

 

[davenn]

Wonder what the anti-frackers will think of this. Especially since this would be done in an already geologically unstable region

ohhh yeah that will really have the greenies up in arms LOL