Colorado governor advances statewide efforts to harness ‘the heat beneath our feet’

The Hill ^ | 05/24/2024 | SHARON UDASIN

[ChicagoConservative27]

Colorado has long drawn on its high-altitude sunshine and wintry winds for energy. Now Gov. Jared Polis (D) is determined to tap into another renewable resource: one simmering under the Centennial State’s surface.

“The low-cost workhorses of the clean energy economy will always be solar and wind energy, especially in places like Colorado that have great wind and great sun,” Polis told The Hill in a Zoom interview this week.

But as states strive to cut down on fossil fuels like coal and natural gas, they are left with an incomplete solution to the energy transition puzzle and need to find a way to “provide that reliable, 24/7 piece,” the governor noted.

For Polis, that missing piece could be geothermal energy: an underground renewable resource literally defined as “heat within the Earth,” per the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).

[ChicagoConservative27]

This guy is a complete buffoon. He needs to tell how we will replace everyday products are made from Oil...

[Dr. Sivana]

For the right applications, geo-thermal beats solar and wind. At least it is always on. It doesn’t really scale into powering the grid or fueling the car.

[rightwingcrazy]

He wants to drain precious heat from Mother Earth, endangering all life!

[FreedomForce]

It makes more sense to me than wind and solar. Other than fossil fuels, nuclear makes the most sense, but good luck promoting nuclear in Colorado.

[Paladin2]

Does he have heat in his meat energy that can be put into the Grid?

[Paladin2]

Nuk-you-lear is the way to go forward for ‘lectricity to be put into the Grid.

Win-Win for both sides.

[VanShuyten]

If it worked really well, there would be geothermal plants up and down the Sierras, Cascades, and Rockies, and a few select areas further east. There are volcanic beds from New Mexico and Southern California all the way to Alaska.

But it doesn’t, and there aren’t.

[ridesthemiles]

I live in N Nevada-—east of Reno.

In pst years, there was heavy Geothermal drilling happening-—

“The wells would be connected & would serve the town of Fernley along I-80.

The drilling has stopped

All the equipment is gone from the yards.

THERE WAS NOTHING CONNECTED TO ANYTHING ELSE.

OBAOA pipe dreams-—

$$$ 98 MILLION down the drain.

[ChicagoConservative27]

What a waste

[who_would_fardels_bear]

The water that comes up from these geothermal hot spots is full of minerals that clog up pipes and other factors that can eat through pipes.

My understanding is that the infrastructure has to be replaced so often that it is not a really cheap alternative. Maybe they're doing it right in Iceland, but maybe it's expensive but still less so than the alternatives.

[Openurmind]

“For the right applications, geo-thermal beats solar and wind. At least it is always on. It doesn’t really scale into powering the grid or fueling the car.”

Absolutely, as much as I am against the ignoramus cures coming from the false climate change agenda, geo-thermal is actually a positive no brainer and anyone intelligent would have already done it in their own yards.

One little tiny solar panel enough to charge one truck battery and run a 12 RV pump is all that is needed once installed. “IF” you own a pair of slippers and a housecoat.

This desire to live in a “perfect” two degree environment is absolutely pure laziness.

[Openurmind]

“The water that comes up from these geothermal hot spots is full of minerals that clog up pipes and other factors that can eat through pipes.”

Not if you install it as a completely sealed system in your own yard. Why more folks do not do this I have no clue, it is almost free heating and cooling for your home.

[who_would_fardels_bear]

I don’t think you’re talking about geothermal in the same sense. You’re talking about a heat pump that takes advantage of the difference in temperature at different depths in the Earth. In that case, you are the one who supplies the water, and yes the water will remain good-to-use if kept in an enclosed system.

[AZJeep]

I was thinking about the pedals below our feet.
Let us all pedal on stationary bikes and generate power that way!
Healthy, renewable!

[Openurmind]

“I don’t think you’re talking about geothermal in the same sense. You’re talking about a heat pump that takes advantage of the difference in temperature at different depths in the Earth.”

Exactly right, the ground temp dictates what temp you can pull out of it. When you are situated over a thermal warm spot you are going to get a higher output. Like here, our soil at 6tf is 70 degrees. Our 499 ft well brings up 85 degree water. We are on a hot spot.

But you could do the same thing but on a personal basis. Drill a 500 ft hole and pull out 85 degree water, distribute it through your home, then dump it back in a shallow well hole.

With plastic pipe and clean outs to brush them out every ten years it would last hundreds of years as long as you can power the pump. As long as it was designed right, scale would not be a problem. Here is a thought, run your well water you already need from your existing well through your house before it goes to storage. Free heating and cooling on it’s way there...

[If You Want It Fixed - Fix It]

He’s going to chill the earth! Ee’re gonna die!

[Organic Panic]

As if environazis will allow any geothermal plants to be created. Dontcha know the ONLY place the (insert suddenly found endangered rodent) lives is right there where ‘that’ power plant will be installed.

[RandallFlagg]

From what I understand (After reading Jurassic Park around 40 years ago), geothermal energy is highly corrosive. They had to use equipment made of gold to harness it to power the park on Isla Nublar. Don’t know how accurate that is, though.

Wouldn’t matter to the commie Polis. Not HIS money.

Colorado ping.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Yes, water from subterranean heat sources is very corrosive. This is a major problem for "hydrothermal" (i.e., open loop) generation. But closed loop systems avoid bringing that subsurface water to the surface. You still have your heat exchanger pipes buried in the ground that are subject to the corrosive environment.

The problem is that closed-loop systems are much more expensive than open-loop and cannot produce competitive electric power.

See NREL's report "Numerical Investigation of Closed-Loop Geothermal Systems in Deep Geothermal Reservoirs." The work was performed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, Idaho National Laboratory, Stanford University and Pennsylvania State University.

For closed-loop systems, "Our results indicate competitive Levelized Cost of Heat (LCOH) can be achieved; however, competitive Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE) cannot be achieved without significant reductions in drilling costs...reservoir temperatures greater than 200 degrees C, achieved by going to greater depths (~3-4 km), may significantly enhance power production.

That's 2 to 3 miles below the surface! Those aren't cheap holes to drill, especially in hot zones.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

LOL...going after earth’s “precious bodily fluids”