29 Apr 2014

Gigawatts of geothermal: JASON Study Highlights Huge Potential for EGS in U.S.

A new study commissioned by the Energy Department’s Geothermal Technologies Office (GTO) highlights the vast potential for enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) to provide clean, reliable, and sustainable energy to millions of American homes and businesses.

JASON – an independent advisory group of world-class scientists that has historically consulted with the federal government on science and technology– conducted a comprehensive analysis of opportunities for widespread development and deployment of EGS technologies.

The conclusions of the JASON study support GTO’s long-term strategy for EGS development, which includes using EGS at existing hydrothermal fields and eventually deploying the technology nationwide. The findings suggest this approach has potential to access 5-10 gigawatts of additional electricity in the near-term, with a pathway towards unlocking a significantly larger resource as the industry overcomes key technical challenges. The study also highlights specific opportunities to advance drilling technologies, improve subsurface characterization, and increase operational efficiency, all of which would reduce the risk and cost of EGS.

For more information, take a look at this post of the blog about geothermal energy of the Energy Department’s Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy website.