Enhanced Geothermal Breaks Through In Nevada (AOL Energy)
Breaking new ground – literally – Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS) technology is unlocking heat trapped deep beneath Earth's surface and, for the first time, turning it into electricity on the U.S. grid.
The U.S. Department of Energy said an Ormat Technologies EGS project that it backed with $5.4 million (to go along with $2.6 million in private sector money) had boosted production at a Churchill County, Nevada, USA, geothermal field by 38 percent, pumping 1.7 MWe of new power to the grid.
Traditional geothermal relies on finding a combination of hot rock, water and permeability. The basic outline is to drill a hole, pull up the hot water and steam and use it to turn a turbine to produce electricity. Simple.
Unfortunately for we power-hungry humans, nature doesn't always bring that trio together in a convenient location.
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