The enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) process reportedly expands the potential of geothermal energy by orders of magnitude. The traditional geothermal approach relies on finding naturally occurring pockets of steam and hot water.
The EGS process, in comparison, replicates these conditions by fracturing hot rock, circulating water through the system, and using the resulting steam to produce electricity in a conventional turbine.
Google quoted a Massachusetts Institute of Technology report on EGS that estimated that just 2% of the heat below the continental US at depths within the range of existing drilling technology is equal to more than 2,500 times the country’s total annual energy use.
Dan Reicher, director of climate and energy initiatives for Google.org, said: EGS could be the killer app of the energy world. It has the potential to deliver vast quantities of power 24/7 and be captured nearly anywhere on the planet. And it would be a perfect complement to intermittent sources like solar and wind.
