The Energy Department awarded $99 million in geothermal grants across 21 projects, including Utah work. Recipients include Utah firms Zanskar Geothermal and Minerals and AlterG Resources, plus two University of Utah awards; other projects will study Utah geothermal sites.
The University of Utah’s two grants cover an enhanced geothermal system project in Nevada’s Dixie Valley West field and drilling and subsurface studies at Utah’s Cove Fort field. Reno-based Raser Power Systems will drill an exploratory well and monitor it alongside an existing well to test whether its Thermo No. 1 plant in Utah’s Escalante Desert can generate more power. Denver-based 400C Energy plans to deepen a well in Beaver County to determine whether the Salt Cove area connects to a hydrothermal system.
DOE selected five projects to test field-scale enhanced geothermal systems for possible deployment and 16 exploratory drilling projects to inform future commercial development and investment. The department said project information would be made public. Enhanced geothermal systems use injected fluid to create or open pathways in hot rock; DOE puts U.S. geothermal electricity generating capacity at 4 gigawatts.
