WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 25th February, 2021) The US will fund 17 geothermal research projects with awards totaling $46 million, the Energy Department said on Wednesday.
"There is enormous untapped potential for enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) to provide clean and reliable electricity to power tens of millions of homes across the country," acting Undersecretary of Energy for Science Kathleen Hogan said in a press release. "These investments in EGS research support President [Joe] Biden's mission to take on the climate crisis by pushing the frontiers of science and engineering."
Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) are different from conventional geothermal resources that occur naturally and are geographically limited due to the need for underground heat and fluids, the release said.
Instead, EGS use man-made geothermal reservoirs and can be engineered in most parts of the country, potentially expanding geothermal energy production and transforming the domestic energy portfolio, the release added.
The research will be conducted at the Energy Department's Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy (FORGE) Initiative at the University of Utah, according to the release.
