It sounds like a grade school science experiment on a grand scale. This summer, a team of geothermal energy developers is planning to pump 24 million gallons of water into a dormant volcano in Central Oregon. Their hope: that volcanic rock will heat the water to a temperature that is hot enough to generate clean electricity.
In brief, geothermal energy is based on accessing the warmth under our feet. The Earth’s core is almost as hot as the surface of the sun. And the temperature of rock and water increases the deeper you dig. Unlike windmills and solar panels, which rely on intermittent sources of power, geothermal energy can be accessed day and night, year round.
Traditionally, geothermal electricity has been produced by plants built on geothermal resources near the Earth’s surface. These plants use hot water or steam to power turbines. A newer technique called hydroshearing will be employed at the Oregon volcano. It involves pumping cold water 11,000 feet underground, in an attempt to capture the steam produce by hot, dry rocks.
The project’s biggest engineering obstacles include figuring out an economical way to recycle water and avoiding earthquakes. Triggering seismic activity is a real concern; a Swiss hydroshearing effort was halted when it resulted in a 3.4 magnitude earthquake during the water injection stage.
Still, investors have embraced the Newbury Volcano project. The Department of Energy gambled $21 million, which was matched by private investors.
There are 160 active volcanoes in the U.S., and if the project is successful, it could revolutionize access to geothermal energy.
Photo, taken on November 25, 2010 using a Canon IXUS 130, courtesy of John Cooke via Flickr.