USA, California: Energy Commission Announces $3.5 Million for Geothermal Energy R&D

Notice of Proposed Awards (NOPA) - Improving Performance and Cost Effectiveness of Small Hydro, Geothermal and Wind Energy Technologies (News Release)

On June 15, 2016, the California Energy Commission (Energy Commission) released a competitive solicitation to fund innovative research and development for in-conduit hydropower, geothermal and wind technologies that will result in improving the performance and cost effectiveness of renewable energy sources.

Up to $8.5 million in Electric Program Investment Charge (EPIC) funding is available to fund applications in:

• Group 1: Expanding California’s Use of In-Conduit Hydrokinetic Power.
• Group 2: Improving the Cost-Effectiveness and Operational Flexibility of Geothermal Energy Production.
• Group 3: Upgrading California’s Aging Wind Turbines.

The three winners of funds in the Group 2 geothermal category, ranked in order, are:

1. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
   High-Resolution Micro-Earthquake Imaging of Flow Paths Using a Dense Seismic Network and Fast-Turnaround, Automated Processing. ($1,672,639)
2. SRI International
   Recovery of Lithium from Geothermal Brines ($873,387) 
3. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
   Coupled Reservoir-Wellbore Thermal-Hydrological-Mechanical-Chemical Modeling ($999,032) 

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