Not that it wasn’t expected, but it’s always nice for a developer to report that they’ve hit steam while drilling. Western GeoPower is developing the old Unit 15 site at the Geysers. According to their release, they’ve reached a depth of 2,150m (~7,000′) and are able to produce 63,500kg/hour (~140,000lb/hour) of steam.

The well is not yet complete, its planned depth is 3,350m (~11,000′) and it is hoped that each well in the field will produce in excess of 3MWe.

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This is time sensitive folks, if you want to participate, RSVP TODAY to go.geothermal@go.doe.gov – since time is short, comments may also be submitted via email to the same address before April 28.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Geothermal Technologies Program (GTP) is seeking input from the oil/gas and geothermal community (industry, academia, etc.) to assist in the development of two Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS) Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs) and a Request for Information (RFI), as summarized below.

You are invited to participate in a pre-solicitation meeting scheduled for April 25th in Houston, Texas at the Houston Museum of Natural Science, lower level conference room, beginning at 9:00 AM. We will be reviewing our plans for two funding opportunities and a RFI. We value your input on the construct of a reconstituted geothermal effort focusing on Enhanced Geothermal Systems prior to final decisions made by the Department. If you are unable to participate at this event in person, you are encouraged to provide input through email, as described below.

DRAFT Funding Opportunity Announcement FY08: Enhanced Geothermal Systems Research, Development, and Reservoir Stimulation

Topic Area 1: Enhanced Geothermal Systems Technologies – This topic area seeks projects that address key aspects of engineered reservoir creation, management, and utilization, by developing tools and techniques useful to temperatures up to 300°C and depths as great as 10,000 meters. Areas of interest include: zonal isolation; down-hole pumps; fracture characterization; image fluid flow; tracers and tracer interpretation; high-temperature logging tools and sensors; and stimulation prediction models. These technology improvements are discussed in greater detail in the report, “An Evaluation of Enhanced Geothermal Systems Technology,” posted on the DOE website: https://www.eere.energy.gov/geothermal/pdfs/evaluation_egs_tech_2008.pdf.

Topic Area 2: Enhanced Geothermal Systems Reservoir Stimulation – This topic area seeks projects that demonstrate stimulation techniques that successfully establish inter-well connectivity at viable flow and heat extraction rates for commercial EGS production using techniques such as hydraulic stimulation.

Comments in response to these topic areas can be provided to the DOE Golden Field Office as an attachment to an e-mail message to go.geothermal@go.doe.gov. Please provide comments by April 28th.

DRAFT Funding Opportunity Announcement FY08: Institutional Challenges

Topic Area 1: Geothermal National Data Center – GTP is seeking to award one grant on a competitive basis to develop a data center that has reliable and accurate data on geothermal resources. The data center will support a wide range of development and utilization of geothermal resources. The Applicant will be responsible for collecting, maintaining, and disseminating information in the public domain. The Applicant will also be responsible for incorporating best practices from the information technology industry. The Applicant should also include a proposal for a classification system that will provide industry and investors a clearly defined framework to evaluate geothermal prospects and establish a common industry language for geothermal development.

Topic Area 2: Industry Communications – GTP is seeking opportunities to coordinate efforts and share information with domestic and international partners engaged in research and development of geothermal systems and related technology.

Topic Area 3: Geothermal Curriculum Development and International Student Exchange – U.S. industry needs new geothermal professionals to meet the demands of the growing geothermal development market. GTP is seeking to award grant funding, on a competitive basis, to develop geothermal educational curriculum for an institute of higher education. The institute will serve as an educational resource to students in relevant fields of study, and the data generated by the facility shall be available to students and the general public. The curriculum development would include sponsoring a student exchange with participating foreign universities. Students who utilized this curriculum would gain first hand knowledge through classroom education in the U.S. and a foreign country, field work, a National Lab or industry internship in geothermal research and development, policy, regulatory, and/or environmental issues.

Comments in response to these topic areas can be provided to the DOE Golden Field Office as an attachment to an e-mail message to go.geothermal@go.doe.gov. Please provide comments by April 28th.

Request for Information DE-PS36-08GO38003: Enhanced Geothermal Systems Technologies Validation Site(s)

The Department of Energy is seeking information from the geothermal community to assist in the development of a possible Funding Opportunity Announcement, acquisition, or other procurement option in regard to establishing Enhanced Geothermal Systems Technologies Validation Site(s). This will facilitate high risk technology development, validation, and deployment by participating organizations that would not otherwise take place at a commercial geothermal field. The information gathered from this RFI will be used by DOE for internal planning and decision making purposes, and will not be released to the general public.

The RFI will be listed at https://e-center.doe.gov/iips/faopor.nsf/Solicitation%20By%20Program%20Office?OpenView&Start=1&Count=30&Expand=3#3 for comment. Comments in response to this RFI must be provided to the DOE Golden Field Office as an attachment to an e-mail message to RFI-08GO38003@go.doe.gov. Comments must be provided no later than 8 p.m. EDT, on May 30, 2008.

The Department thanks you for your assistance and input.

Thanks to Liz Battocletti of Bob Lawrence & Associates for distributing this message.

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In the spirit of Earth Day, here’s a little project virtually anyone can attempt, if you’ve got any solar resource at all. Most homes spend around 30% of their energy budget heating water. Get 100 meters of black hose, a few connectors, and a place to site your heater and you’re in business with a cost effective solar hot water heater.

Segment 1: First Attempt


With the humor out of the way, here’s the rest of the story…

Segment 2: Success!


Hats off to Green Power Science who put these entertaining, yet cheesy, videos together.

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Attribution: TabToons/CagleCartoons

No doubt there are serious issues to address on Earth Day. But a little humor never hurt and oh, by the way, just in case we’re worried about Earth? Don’t. This really should be “save the humans from themselves day.” Earth will be just fine long after we’re gone…

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Last week, Thomas Blakeslee of the Clearlight Foundation wrote a piece for Renewable Energy World on the coming baseload crunch. It’s well worth your time to read the article in its entirety.

The core thesis to the piece is that adding wind and solar are great, but they’re both intermittent power sources and there is only so much intermittent supply that should be added to the grid. We’ve heard different levels, 20% being the most commonly accepted figure.

Blakeslee gives an impassioned argument on why we should be paying much more attention to geothermal power as an energy source – something that certainly resonates with us – due to resource availability, superior capacity factor, and the advances in harvest technologies that have appeared over the last 30 years.

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