(Source: West Virginia State Journal)
It's been more than a year since researchers at Southern Methodist University announced findings of a study that identified significant geothermal energy potential in West Virginia, and the state has made little public progress in capitalizing on the study. That could change May 22 with an event hosted by Marshall University and the West Virginia Division of Energy.
West Virginia's Center for Environmental, Geotechnical, and Applied Sciences, CEGAS, is developing a program for West Virginia Geothermal Energy Conference in Flatwoods.
The SMU Geothermal Laboratory estimated that the state's geothermal generation potential is about 18,890 megawatts, or about 75 percent higher than previously estimated. The hottest areas are concentrated below Tucker, Randolph, Pocahontas, and Greenbrier counties.
Geothermal, unlike solar and wind, have potential as a baseload energy resource. Wind and solar are both intermittent sources of energy that depend upon certain conditions for energy production.
"We'll be providing people with a lot of information on the big picture of enhanced geothermal systems, which what any geothermal development in West Virginia would be, because it's not conventional" Risch said.
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West Virginia Geothermal Resources
Image courtesy of SMU and West Virginia State News
Enhanced geothermal, Risch said, involves heat captured from much deeper below the surface.
"We'll be describing that process and the theories about what we know related to the geothermal resource here," Risch said. "Extensive work has not been done yet. A lot of it is still in the theoretical stage. It has not been developed yet."
Risch pointed out that the emerging technology that is geothermal in West Virginia still has not yet been demonstrated. Much of the data the SMU researchers used in determining the state's potential came from existing wells drilled by gas and oil companies.
A number of hurdles remain for geothermal. One is the high cost of drilling so deep, as well as not being sure of a potential well's success.
Risch said she hopes drillers will be at the conference to discuss some of the implications, equipment and techniques of drilling that deep, potentially one to two miles, into the Earth as well.
Teresa Buckland, CEGAS project manager, said the agenda was still under development, but more information would be coming soon.
"We're hoping to have a very education conference," Buckland said. "Basically, why West Virginia, from the big picture on down to the economics of geothermal in West Virginia as we know them today. It's all a very preliminary sort of thing."
