The Trump Administration is outwardly hostile to renewable energy, especially solar and wind power. Federal support for these energy sources that are by far the most rapidly growing energy sources across the globe is being gutted while fossil fuels are being propped up.
There is also renewed enthusiasm for nuclear power and, somewhat surprisingly, geothermal heat. Geothermal is a renewable and clean energy source that has long been mostly overlooked and underfunded. The main reasons are its expense and the fact that its large-scale use is unproven.
Historically, geothermal energy has relied upon naturally occurring features such as hot springs and shallow underground heat sources. However, technological breakthroughs that began in 2013 have led to enhanced geothermal systems, or EGS. EGS makes use of the fact that if you drill deep enough into the earth pretty much anywhere, you will encounter substantial amounts of heat. EGS plants pump water three miles down or more where it encounters rock that reaches over 500 degrees. The piping hot water is then brought to the surface where it spins turbines to generate electricity.
Several companies are developing EGS in the U.S. financed by tech companies seeking power for their AI activities, the Defense Department, and even by fossil fuel companies who use comparable drilling technology for fracking.
The so-called Big Beautiful Bill passed by Congress in July that eliminates tax credits for wind and solar energy preserves tax credits for geothermal projects.
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Why U.S. Geothermal May Advance, Despite Political Headwinds
Photo, posted September 30, 2019, courtesy of Stephen D Strowes via Flickr.
Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio
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