New geothermal technology opens the door to 120,000MW
Recent breakthroughs in geothermal technology could allow the US to tap into 120,000MW of the clean, renewable energy that boils beneath our feet. Raser Technologies and New Mexico's Governor Bill Richardson broke ground on a power plant this month that will be able to utilize lower levels of geothermal energy thanks to some kind of "binary liquid." That means all sorts of new locations could become candidates for geothermal plants.Most current geothermal technologies rely on geothermal temperatures to boil water, using the steam to produce energy. Instead of using water to drive the turbine, the Binary Cycle Power Plant adds a second "working liquid" that boils at a much lower temperature. This allows Raser to harness geothermal sites with temperature as low as 165°F. According to the US Geological Survey, that means that about 120GW of new geothermal energy is up for grabs all over the US.
Another piece of good news: these geothermal plants go up fast. The pioneering plant in New Mexico is expected to be up and running by early 2009 -- starting at around 10MW.
[via Inhabitat]
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