Funding Opportunity: Innovative Methods to Control Hydraulic Properties of Enhanced Geothermal Systems
GTO announced funding of up to $12 million for technologies that can make geothermal systems more efficient for clean, renewable energy production. This funding opportunity will support the research, development, demonstration, and deployment of technologies and techniques to control the fluid flow in Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) reservoirs, enhancing the connectivity of preexisting fracture networks and optimizing them for heat mining. Applications are due by 5 p.m. ET on June 15. Want to learn more? Visit EERE Exchange. (Photo: NREL)
|
Request for Information: Opportunities to Improve Geothermal Technology Cost and Performance Modeling
GTO has issued a request for information seeking stakeholder feedback to identify gaps in existing geothermal technology performance and cost models, enabling GTO to eliminate such gaps and ensure that geothermal technology costs and performance assumptions are accurately represented in models that consider geothermal capacity expansion and production cost in grid modeling and planning efforts. Energy system modelers, geothermal developers and operators, utilities and public utility commissions, as well as those from academia, research laboratories, government agencies, and other geothermal stakeholders are encouraged to provide input on opportunities to improve geothermal technology cost and performance modeling with the ultimate goal of increasing geothermal representation in resource adequacy planning activities at the state level.
Responses must be provided as an attachment and sent to DMAGeothermal@ee.doe.gov by 5 p.m. ET on May 28. For more information, visit EERE Exchange.
Fervo Energy Raises $28 Million to Scale Next Generation Geothermal Technology
Fervo Energy announced $28 million in Series B financing to continue its mission of applying transformative EGS technology to address climate change. Fervo has long been part of the DOE team; the company previously received funding from APRA-E and is currently funded by GTO as part of the Zonal Isolation research and development portfolio.
The University of Utah and GTO also recently announced the selection of Fervo to develop new drilling and production techniques for novel well orientations at the FORGE site in Milford, Utah. Please join GTO in congratulating the Fervo team for this remarkable milestone. For more information on the company, visit fervoenergy.com.
EERE Job Vacancies
Are you passionate about clean energy? The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is searching for enthusiastic, driven, and committed professionals. For more information about open positions, please visit the EERE Employment Opportunities page. When new GTO positions become available, we will highlight them here!
Department of Labor Apprenticeship Resources
The U.S. Department of Labor has information on college-to-career apprentice opportunities. Apprenticeship.gov is a one-stop source to connect career seekers, employers, and education partners with apprenticeship resources. Discover apprenticeships across industries, how programs are started by employers, and how to become an apprentice. Interested in learning more? Visit DOL.gov.
American-Made Geothermal Lithium Extraction Prize
Earlier this year, GTO announced the launch of the American-Made Geothermal Lithium Extraction Prize. Competitors, who must be affiliated with a U.S. academic institution, will participate in three escalating challenges for an opportunity to win a portion of a $4 million cash prize pool. Phase 1 is currently open, with submissions due July 2. For more information, visit the Geothermal Lithium Extraction Prize page.
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) recently posted webinars to introduce the Industry Advisory Panel, which provides Lithium Extraction Prize competitors with real-world research and development problems, mentorship, technical insight, marketing expertise, product validation, and other support. Watch webinars on the HeroX website or YouTube for an overview of the state of industry for lithium extraction, key issues surrounding geothermal brines in the Salton Sea, and what is needed to make major strides in sourcing domestic geothermal lithium.
American-Made Geothermal Manufacturing Prize
Last year, GTO announced the opening of the American-Made Geothermal Manufacturing Prize, a competition designed to address manufacturing challenges fundamental to operating in harsh geothermal environments. Ten semifinalist teams will now move on to the Make! Contest and compete for part of the $750,000 prize pool. Interested in learning more? Visit the Geothermal Manufacturing Prize website.
Geothermal Collegiate Competition
A roster of student teams have advanced to the final phase of the Geothermal Collegiate Competition, which engages multidisciplinary teams to design direct-use concepts leveraging geothermal energy to heat and cool buildings, campuses, districts, or entire communities. Want to learn more? Visit the Geothermal Collegiate Competition website.
Please join Acting Assistant Secretary for EERE Kelly Speakes-Backman and DOE on June 16 at noon MT for a live virtual celebration and announcement of the winners of the Spring 2021 Geothermal Collegiate Competition. Register today for the winner announcement!
American Rock Mechanics Association (ARMA) Student Design Competition 2021
The ARMA Student Design Competition offers undergraduate and graduate students an opportunity to test their knowledge, creativity, teamwork, and problem-solving skills with a real-life rock engineering case-study problem. Projects will be judged by leading experts in rock mechanics/geomechanics. Winners will be announced at the 55th U.S. Rock Mechanics/Geomechanics Symposium in June. If you would like to learn more, please visit the competition website. |
|
 |
New Report on Lithium Extraction from Geothermal Brines
NREL released a GTO-funded report reviewing public techno-economic analyses of lithium extraction technologies. The report is part of an effort to assess geothermal brines as a source of commercial lithium supply for the United States. Extraction of lithium from geothermal brines has the potential to meet increasing domestic demand for lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles, portable electronics, grid energy storage, and other applications.
American Association of Petrochemical Geologists Explorer
The ground-breaking advances in geothermal technology being made at the Utah FORGE were highlighted in AAPG’s April Explorer newsletter. (Account required to read full article.)
Visualize Your Energy Future with SLOPE: New Data on Geothermal Energy Generation Potential
The State and Local Planning for Energy (SLOPE) Platform integrates and delivers data on energy efficiency, renewable energy, and sustainable transportation into an easy-to-access online platform to enable data-driven state and local energy planning. In addition to a redesigned site, recent enhancements to SLOPE include the introduction of city-level data, transportation data, and new data on geothermal energy generation potential available at the state and county level.
SLOPE can help answer questions such as:
- Are geothermal heat pumps an economic solution in my county?
- How much utility-scale geothermal potential lies within my state?
- Can geothermal district heating provide economic heating for existing buildings and new construction in my county?
SLOPE is a collaboration between 9 DOE offices and NREL to support state and local action in building a 100% clean energy economy.
Dr. Travis McLing Is the New GTO Relationship Manager at INL
Congratulations to Dr. Travis McLing who has accepted the position of GTO relationship manager at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). Dr. McLing has been working in the field of geology and geothermal research at INL for nearly 30 years and is internationally recognized for his expertise in the fields of geothermal research, rare earth element geochemistry, and hydrochemistry. Reach out to Dr. McLing as the new INL point of contact at travis.mcling@inl.gov. |
|
 |
ORNL’s Dr. Xiaobing Liu Receives ASHRAE Distinguished Service Award
Congratulations to Dr. Xiaobing Liu, a researcher in the Building Equipment Research Group at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), for being recognized with a Distinguished Service Award from ASHRAE and for his work with EERE on geothermal heat pumps!
On May 19, Utah FORGE will host its 7th forum on modeling and simulation related to research award negotiations from the Utah FORGE Solicitation 2020-1. Register today!
ARMA invites you to its 55th U.S. Rock Mechanics/Geomechanics Symposium. The 2021 program, sponsored by GTO, will be an online virtual symposium from June 18 to 25 that will focus on technical advances and innovative applied research in rock mechanics and geomechanics.
The World Geothermal Congress 2020+1, postponed from April 2020, is being held this year as a series of monthly virtual events, where over 2,000 papers will be presented, giving the audience the ability to interact with authors and presenters. The highlight of WGC 2020+1 will be a three-day on-site/hybrid conference in Reykjavik, Iceland, from October 24 to 27, which will be streamed online giving those that cannot travel a chance to join the action. Learn more.
The Society of Petroleum Engineers is hosting a virtual workshop from August 30 to September 1 to bring oil and gas technical communities together to exchange the latest advances. The Energy Transition Segments will feature a geothermal session!
Join us at the 2021 Geothermal Rising Conference (GRC) from October 3 to 6. The GRC is the geothermal industry’s flagship annual conference, reflecting the global nature of the geothermal industry. The conference is the largest annual gathering of the geothermal community, bringing together people in industry, academia, government, and the general public. Subject to COVID-19 restrictions, GTO is planning to attend the conference. Look for our booth!
-
The Lithium Gold Rush: Inside the Race to Power Electric Vehicles. Automakers are ramping up electric vehicle manufacturing, driving need for domestic supplies of lithium, an essential ingredient in electric car batteries. Is lithium extraction from geothermal brines the answer?
-
Can the Earth’s Core Power the World? Miles below the Earth’s surface, there is enough geothermal energy to power all of humanity for the foreseeable future. Geothermal is poised to play an increasingly large role as a source of always available, renewable power. Watch CNBC’s segment on geothermal basics.
-
Geothermal’s Promise in Latin America. Listen to NPR’s The World to learn about Latin America’s unique geology and geothermal potential.
-
Los Angeles Now Has a Road Map for 100% Renewable Energy. The City of Los Angeles is one of the last major cities in California still burning coal to generate electricity, but the Los Angeles Times reports that the city could become one of the first to eliminate all fossil fuels from its power supply. The city partnered with NREL in an unprecedented study modeling multiple paths to a 100% clean energy power grid. Geothermal power plants are featured in every pathway.
-
You’re Thinking About Home Heating Wrong. The geothermal heat pump next door: though they’re not as obvious as rooftop solar, geothermal heat pumps are so hot right now (and so cool). Read about why geothermal heating and cooling is so important to our renewable future.
Website Revamp!
GTO is working on a website update to streamline content and improve navigation. Please pardon our dust and watch for changes over the coming months.
Ambitious Geothermal Project to Make Oberlin a National Leader in Clean Energy
Oberlin College & Conservatory will take an important step toward carbon neutrality this summer as it launches a multiyear, campus-wide conversion to geothermal energy, positioning the institution as a national leader in clean energy.
Geothermal Test Bore Offers New Research Opportunities at Smith College
Watch a video on the first geothermal project on the Smith College campus, giving students a hands-on opportunity to research geothermal technologies.
Winter Storm Uri’s Impacts & Pathways to Resilience in Texas
Winter Storm Uri caused blackouts for more than 9.7 million people, most notably in Texas, where power supply and grid failures led to prolonged outages in February 2021. The Houston Advanced Research Center created an interactive application showing the impacts of the storm and highlighting strategies that could lead to more resilience in the future.
|
