08-28-2018, 05:30 PM
TomK, happy to provide the background. Too many of these issues are written about by reporters who have no science background beyond a required introductory general science course in college and feel that they have to tart up every technology story as being the end of the world, or it's ultimate salvation, in order to get it published...
The deep, intermediate temperature geothermal resources are of great interest because the amount of heat stored is many times that available in shallower high temperature systems - and they can be found over much broader areas of N. America. But, after a lot of millions invested, over the last three decades, in making the technology work with a high enough efficiency to be economically viable, I don't know of any commercial project that is based on the technology. The Altarock project is deep high temperature, rather than intermediate, and may be able to make the grade (and may be why DOE is putting lots of money into the project).
The deep, intermediate temperature geothermal resources are of great interest because the amount of heat stored is many times that available in shallower high temperature systems - and they can be found over much broader areas of N. America. But, after a lot of millions invested, over the last three decades, in making the technology work with a high enough efficiency to be economically viable, I don't know of any commercial project that is based on the technology. The Altarock project is deep high temperature, rather than intermediate, and may be able to make the grade (and may be why DOE is putting lots of money into the project).