How geothermal energy could power US homes
Key takeaways
- Advancements in geothermal systems and sustained political support in the US provide an opportunity for this clean energy industry to scale.
- "We are developing the tools to do geothermal where the people are, not making people go out to where the rocks are hot," said Wayne Bezner Kerr, project program manager.
- If it succeeds, it could serve as a blueprint for scaling geothermal heating across New York and the cold, densely populated northeastern United States.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Advancements in geothermal systems and sustained political support in the US provide an opportunity for this clean energy industry to scale.
https://p.dw.com/p/5DUm4Until now, geothermal has been restricted to certain areas, but research shows potential for expansion Image: Bilanol/Pond5 Images/IMAGOAdvertisement At Cornell University in upstate New York, researchers are testing how a deep geothermal system can work far from the tectonic boundaries and volcanoes that have long defined where distributing their energy is even viable.
By tapping into the planet's internal warmth, the project, known as Earth Source Heat, could supply the 2,300-acre (931-hectare) campus in Ithaca with fossil fuel-free heat to help the university become carbon neutral by 2035.