Google Investing Over $10 Million in Geothermal Energy
Geothermal energy has finally hit the big time. Google.org, the philanthropic arm of Google, announced today that it is investing $10.25 million in an energy technology called Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS). The funding will also go towards geothermal resource mapping, information tools, and a geothermal energy policy agenda.
And it looks like Google made a wise investment choice. According to an MIT report on EGS, only 2% of the heat beneath the continental US between 3 and 10 kilometers (depths we can reach with current technology) is more than 2,500 the annual energy use of the United States.
While traditional geothermal energy relies on finding natural pockets of hot water and steam, EGS fractures the hot rock, circulates water in its system, and uses the steam created from the process to create electricity in a turbine.
The investments will go towards three institutions: AltaRock Energy, Potter Drilling, and the Southern Methodist University Geothermal Lab.
Google’s funding may just be the push we need to really get geothermal off the ground, once again proving that government funding and initiatives can’t do everything. Substantial change can only come when private investors and corporations decide to help out—whatever their motives may be.
More Posts on Geothermal Energy:
- Germany Creates Boom In Geothermal Electricity
- Harness A Volcano To Power Your Town
- Geothermal: It Ain’t Sexy But It Sure Is Smart
You Might Also Like
“Hot” New Drill Prototype Is the Holy Grail of the Geothermal World
Utah’s First Geothermal Plant in Over 20 Years Completed 
US Army Wants to Build World’s Most Powerful Solar Array
Dutch City Opens World’s First Mine Water Power Station
August 19th, 2008 at 2:58 pm
With Google’s spotlight on geothermal, investment in that sector is bound to soar. (And this comes right after T.BoonePickens puts his money behind wind energy!) Stock peddlers are bidding up websites like geothermalinvesting.com and investinginwindpower.com, to get the word out to the masses. If Congress steps in with more incentives (which they will under Obama), the sky is the limit for these energy plays.
August 19th, 2008 at 3:20 pm
Substantial change could come about by the government IF the government actually acted. The problem there is that we’ve had a Republican Congress for 14 of the last 16 years and we’ve had a Republican President for the last 8 years. No Republican lawmaker wants this kind of technology, not when it would mean taking money out of the hands of the oil companies.
August 19th, 2008 at 3:33 pm
With a backing like Google…real change looks realistic. Hopefully this will get other giants to invest, if they know what good for them.
August 19th, 2008 at 11:14 pm
The nice thing about Google investing in geothermal is the fact that private industry is trying to do something about the energy crisis. Geothermal is a good direction for power generation.
August 19th, 2008 at 11:21 pm
I would say that the biggest hurdle of both geothermal and wind is the transmission line infrastructure. That and we haven’t heard from the coal fired electrial plant types. Citi recently funded numerous coal fired powerplants and the petro/coal big will not just passively by and let this happen. Watch for increased propaganda from those quarters seeking to debunk global warming and carbon issues. This should be interesting.
August 19th, 2008 at 11:39 pm
SO geothermal energy can be used for different purposes? It can even be used to produce hydrogen from water? Just like solar panels or electricity? Is it the heat energy or can it be used directly as energy?
August 20th, 2008 at 12:36 am
$10m? I think we’re going to need a little more than 10 bars if we are to ever get out of this rut. The only way you get giants interested, is by offering them bait, this 10 million dollar worm-on-a-hook looks dismal.
August 20th, 2008 at 1:12 am
If google thinks it will work well, it will most likely work well.
anyone know if they bought shares of certain companies for this technology or what?
August 20th, 2008 at 1:17 am
[...] Google Investing Over $10 Million in Geothermal Energy Geothermal energy has finally hit the big time. Google.org, the philanthropic arm of Google, announced today that it is investing $10.25 million in an energy technology called Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS). The funding will also go towards geothermal resource mapping, information tools, and a geothermal energy policy agenda. Google Investing Over $10 Million in Geothermal Energy : CleanTechnica [...]
August 20th, 2008 at 4:30 am
googel must be crazy
August 20th, 2008 at 7:51 am
I think it’s great. Of course it’s not the answer to our problems. We’re going to get through this century by incorporating many different ideas and technologies to slowly wax into clean and renewable energy. Moves like this are a small, but necessary step on the long road to what comes next. 10 Million is not a lot. But it is certainly more than I have donated.
August 20th, 2008 at 8:06 am
I’m telling you dude, One day Google is going to rule the world, you just wait and see!
RD
http://www.decrypt.net.tc
August 20th, 2008 at 8:52 am
We all know Google is pretty picky regarding it’s investments… Does anybody else smell a future “G Geo-thermal Plant” ?
…well, if we can all live better, then GG Google.
August 20th, 2008 at 1:48 pm
Google Investing Over $10 Million in Geothermal Energy | nerdd.net…
\r\nGeothermal energy has finally hit the big time. Google.org, the philanthropic arm of Google, ann…
August 20th, 2008 at 6:31 pm
Geothermal has great potential as a major source of clean base load power in this country.
August 23rd, 2008 at 10:30 am
Generating electricity by developing alternative ways is all well and good.The more the merrier.But the real energy crisis is in how to find alternative ways to power our transportation vehicles(cars,trucks,planes)or turn oil into a commodity instead of a strategic commodity.Anne Korin has a very good past example of this and a way to do the same thing with oil.
August 23rd, 2008 at 6:39 pm
Google has balls. I hope it all works out for them for this project. I’m not saying I agree with all of it, but, lets see what happens.
August 27th, 2008 at 6:43 pm
I think it’s great they are willing to invest in it but I want them to watch our stock price to!
http://thealternativeenergyinvestor.blogspot.com
August 28th, 2008 at 6:05 pm
So many things could be done! Soooooooooo few doing anything. Way to go Google!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 28th, 2008 at 6:24 pm
So much could be done! Soooooooo few doing anything.
Way to go Google.
August 31st, 2008 at 12:56 pm
[...] Must Viral Story this month: Google Investing Over $10 Million in Geothermal Energy [...]
October 21st, 2008 at 5:29 pm
[...] scheduled to be released 18 months later. This is only the latest of Google’s investments into alternative energy, electric vehicles, and other technology advancements to fight climate [...]
January 12th, 2009 at 1:11 pm
Google is just sticking its toe into the water here, as always, being smart. Google is like the braintrust of mankind, really…they have so many smart people on board.
I’ve followed this company for awhile. They know what they are doing, and this is not philanthropy, but a chance to cash in beyond the wildest dreams of ExxonMobil or BP. This, in addition to the Wind and Solar investments, could easily power the world several times over.
Transmission is a problem, and that problem will likely be accomplished via hydrogen, from what i gather.
BUT…both Geothermal and Wind can be localized to a great degree. Solar to a lessor extent, obviously.
But if you go high enough, or low enough, you can find wind and heat anywhere on Earth… It will be a few years, but mankind has more energy than a million Las Vegas’s could use, and it’s totally clean and infinite.
10 Million is nothing…next time it will be 10 billion. watch.
March 24th, 2009 at 3:55 pm
WOW! This is a “huge” investment.
March 25th, 2009 at 6:46 pm
Ten million whole dollars! Chump change for Google but it does help the green image for fools to look at.
If some of the whiners would just bother to look the government has been investing billions for the past 30 years in many different energy technologies. But no, it is easier and more fun to whine.
May 30th, 2009 at 4:20 pm
It’s great to see that it’s not just the government creating interest in geothermal technology. Hopefully this will get the ball rolling on making improvements in our energy crisis.
June 19th, 2009 at 9:55 pm
[...] Jared Potter is taking that process to the next level. Using new drilling technologies, Potter is working toward solving the increasing global demand for energy while addressing climate-change issues for a price that is competitive with coal. The solution is geothermal. [...]
August 12th, 2009 at 6:55 pm
Geothermal is the way to go. I know there has been a big boom here in Florida in recent years. Way to go google!
August 13th, 2009 at 7:33 pm
Good to know a big company like google is investing in geothermal technology. It is much more energy efficient and has a lot of potential that isn’t being realized.