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.
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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
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.
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
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.
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…
Geothermal has great potential as a major source of clean base load power in this country.
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.
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.
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
So many things could be done! Soooooooooo few doing anything. Way to go Google!!!!!!!!!!!!
So much could be done! Soooooooo few doing anything.
Way to go Google.