Pouring Water Into a Volcano To Generate Power

Hugh Pickens writes "Until recently, geothermal power systems have exploited only resources where naturally occurring heat, water, and rock permeability are sufficient to allow energy extraction. Now, geothermal energy developers plan use a new technology called Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) to pump 24 million gallons of water into the side of the dormant Newberrry Volcano, located about 20 miles south of Bend, Oregon, in an effort to use the earth's heat to generate power. 'We know the heat is there,' says Susan Petty, president of AltaRock Energy, Inc. of Seattle. 'The big issue is can we circulate enough water through the system to make it economic.' Since natural cracks and pores do not allow economic flow rates, the permeability of the volcanic rock can be enhanced with EGS by pumping high-pressure cold water down an injection well into the rock, creating tiny fractures in the rock, a process known as hydroshearing. Then cold water is pumped down production wells into the reservoir, and the steam is drawn out. Natural geothermal resources only account for about 0.3 percent of U.S. electricity production, but a 2007 Massachusetts Institute of Technology report projected EGS could bump that to 10 percent within 50 years, at prices competitive with fossil-fuels. 'The important question we need to answer now,' says USGS geophysicist Colin Williams, 'is how geothermal fits into the renewable energy picture, and how EGS fits. How much it is going to cost, and how much is available.'"

Comments

oh fracking gawd...

[TheRealHocusLocus]

Yeah, let us engage in elaborate engineering works to discover the geological consequences of fracking with 'dormant' volcanoes -- what a valuable learning experience. Spend untold millions over 50 years to go for that grail of 10% electrical production.

Meanwhile, 103 out-dated nuclear power plants are presently generating 20% of the whole grid, TODAY. With state-of-the-art designs, some up-scaling nuclear could generate 101% of the grid TOMORROW (ok well, let's say 10-15 years...)

The thing never discussed along with geothermal energy potential is the highly corrosive environment that the turbines must work with. The thing never discussed along with wind potential the laughably impossible task of keeping enough generators working at any one time -- to accomplish anything other than fleecing the customer and keep the subsidies flowing.

Photonic Solar Energy does not scale, and the first climate/volcanic cloud cover event is the end of civilization. The only way solar could scale to current demand (and penetrate cloud cover) is if it were captured in geosynchronous orbit and beamed to earth stations in a diffuse beam of microwaves. But then you have a SINGLE entity in control of world power generation which is another name for 'one world government' -- any takers?

These alternative-to-nuclear energy methods are mental lollipops to suck on while we delay making a decision. Success and survival if we go nuclear, failure and endless war over oil if we don't.

Note to human race: go seriously nuclear soon alreay, or die.