Navigating the New Grid: The Thermal Energy Movement

Geothermal uncertainty has gone beyond subsurface dynamics into the deep, dark depths of legislation and policymaking. From lawmakers claiming it isn't affordable for the average homeowner to big bills highlighting anything that appears to be green or equitable in orange, the waters are solids-laden like a 10lb drilling mud.  Combined with the restructuring of executive branch agencies, it is easy to say that the geothermal times are changing.  Yet again.   The most significant benefit of harnessing thermal energy is that it hasn't harmed a single bird or whale, to my knowledge.  All geothermal Big “G” (power generation) and Little “g” (geo-exchange) emerge as the most reliable, environmentally low-impact sources in the 21^st century. 

The state of the geothermal industry is moving quickly toward two distinct opportunities: utility-scale geo-exchange for heating and cooling, and emerging phase 3 geothermal power in the form of localized low-megawatt generation. While they move in different directions, they complete the same circle, achieving exactly what the grid desperately needs: reliable, 24/7 baseload performance.  The best part is that both opportunities are built through the collaboration of engineers and drillers who intimately understand the subsurface.   Once again, drillers are here to save the day, the century, and the planet.