Enhanced geothermal power is finally a reality

Houston-based Fervo Energy, a geothermal developer, has brought online the first ever full-scale commercial power plant sourcing from enhanced geothermal systems (EGS). Traditional geothermal power has been around for over a century, using natural fissures which limited geothermal’s reach. An enhanced geothermal system expands the range of sites able to be tapped for geothermal energy, and Fervo’s demo shows the technology’s potential as a clean, firm, and flexible power source.

Fervo Energy is further proposing the use of geothermal as an energy storage technology to partner with intermittent renewables.

Also impactful is the company’s use of fiber optic cables inside wells (downhole), enabling them to gather real-time data on flow, temperature, and performance of the geothermal resource – collected data which revises NREL’s estimate of the impact geothermal can play in the total energy mix.

Listen to the interview on the Apple podcast Volts.