The Lightning Dock geothermal power plant in New Mexico
Geothermal capacity in the U. S. could almost double by 2050. It’s a reliable source of renewable energy always available as a base load and is inexhaustible in the long-term. New projects are coming online worldwide because of technologies able to generate power and heat from lower temperature geothermal sources.
It’s interesting to read about this New Mexico low temp geothermal power plant generating electricity. This is an exciting, practical, and much-needed alternative to using gas for this purpose.
There’s a second way that geothermal technology uses the earth’s readily-available, steady temperature. Geothermal microgrids are being installed in some parts of the U.S. and China to provide heating and cooling for large buildings, university campuses and more.
The Cambridge nonprofit HEET (https://heetma.org/) is hard at work on this. They recently worked with BuroHappold Engineering, an international engineering firm, on a geomicrogrid feasibility study focused on Massachusetts. https://heetma.org/feasibility-study/ Next, they held an all-day technical workshop at Boston University in Oct. 2019 . https://heetma.org/geomicrodistrict-workshop/
HEET is also working with the Gas Leaks Allies (https://www.gasleaksallies.org/), Mass. State Sen. Cynthia Creem and State Reps. Lori Ehrlich and Christina Minicucci to pass legislation addressing gas system safety in our state and laying the foundation for a shift to geothermal energy. This legislation is The F.U.T.U.R.E. Act (H.2849/S.1940), An Act For a Utility Transition to Using Renewable Energy. For details, see https://www.gasleaksallies.org/laws-and-regulations
If you would like to support this important energy and climate legislation, please email, write and call your elected Massachusetts State Senator and Representative and ask them to help pass it before the end of the 191st legislative session which is coming up this summer.