Drill Baby, Drill!

Geothermal Energy is Happening.

May 19, 2024

STOP THE PRESSES! I have some good news. There is an energy revolution happening right now - right here in Massachusetts. Turn off the news about the horrors of courtrooms and battlefields for a few minutes and join me in some overdue excitement and optimism! This is a two part story.

One of my greatest frustrations is that our news feeds are filled with all the battles of human competition - for land, for resources, for money. And add to that the efforts of the “American Taliban” to establish a religious dictatorship (that would be THEIR version of religion, of course) and we are swamped with scary depressing news.

Today, you have a chance to read about real progress. Read how major fossil fuel utilities have joined with a non-profit and a city to pioneer a whole new approach to providing one of the basics of our civilization.

Not long ago I wrote about a hope for a clean source of energy. Fusion promises to alter the way the world operates in a monumental way. But it’s still a long way from being refined and made available. When Fusion is deployed, the world could be transformed. But for now, it’s a hope - not a happening.

Our journey towards sustainable Earth friendly energy production won’t be solved by one amazing all encompassing technology. It will happen as we knit together multiple solutions. Solar, wind and hydro have been at the center of this shift away from fossil fuels. Huge gains have been made. But the drawbacks are real. The sun doesn’t shine at night and the wind can simply stop blowing. And a new grid of expensive transmission lines is required to keep up with all that new “clean” power.

Controlled Thermal Resources' Hell's Kitchen lithium and renewable power plant, near Niland, California

Part One:
Geothermal energy can be the perfect compliment to those technologies and it is happening! A recent Guardian article explains: “In February, the Biden administration announced $74m for up to seven pilot projects to develop enhanced geothermal systems that, the government said, hold the potential for powering 65m American homes.”

“A limitless supply of heat exists beneath our feet within the Earth’s crust, but harnessing it at scale has proved challenging. Now, a combination of new techniques, government support and the pressing need to secure continuous clean power in an era of climate crisis means that geothermal energy is finally having its moment in the US.”

Geothermal capacity could increase 20-fold by 2050, generating 10% of the US’s electricity, according to a recent road map released by the US Department of Energy. Joe Biden’s administration has also funded new projects aimed at pushing forward the next generation of geothermal that aim to make the energy source available anywhere on America’s landmass, not just easy-to-reach hot springs.

”Ironically, enhanced geothermal uses similar fracking techniques currently used to extract oil and gas, which must be phased out if the world is to avoid climate disaster. In the geothermal version of fracking, fluid is injected deep underground, causing fractures to open up, with the liquid becoming hot as it circulates. The hot water is then pumped to the surface, where it can generate electricity for the grid.”

More electricity using sustainable sources! Great! But we still need to build out a grid that can handle the growing load of electricity coming from new locations.

Part Two:
However, there is another project happening in a few states like ours that is a bit different. It is still tapping the heat below our feet but not to produce electricity. “Networked Geothermal” uses the same drilling technology that is used to install gas lines. In fact, it is a gas utility company executing the project. The beauty and irony of that is stunning to me. Networked Geothermal is a system that can heat and cool a neighborhood of residences and businesses. No more furnaces. No more AC units in the the windows. No strain on the electric grid.

Framingham, MA pioneers Networked Geothermal

A project in Framingham, Massachusetts is scheduled to go online next month. Read about it here. A school, several commercial enterprises and 37 residences will be provided with heating and cooling via a shared system of pipes filled with water that tap the Earth’s year round temperature of 55 degrees. Think of it as a giant heat pump.

Here is a video that explains the Networked Geothermal concept.

I think America is at its best when governments, nonprofits and businesses join in solving problems and advance a future that benefits us all. Tonight I will raise a glass to Massachusetts (and other states) that passed legislation allowing gas companies to embark on clean energy projects. I’ll toast the staff of HEET who have worked tirelessly to facilitate this progress. And I will actually clink a glass to the two gas utilities that recognize that gas is not their future. Cheers.

"Eversource is really footing the bill," Shawn Luz, sustainability manager of Framingham, said on Boston Public Radio. "They're covering the costs both on the city side for the residents, and businesses that are participating."

A second pilot installation is to be developed by another gas utility (heart be still). National Grid will drill to install similar water pipes at a public housing project called Franklin Field in Boston. Read about it here. Another reason to be proud of our state.

**HEET and Building Decarbonization Coalition Celebrate Mayor Wu’s Announcement of a Geothermal Network for the Franklin Field Community**

Note that both of these geothermal systems employ similar drilling techniques as those required for drilling oil and gas wells as well as installing gas line infrastructure. That means jobs. Lot’s of new jobs using already attained skills - working to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. “Drill baby, drill” is now a green motto. Win, win, win.

The system in Framingham is scheduled to go online in June. I’ll report back when they “flip the switch” :)

Bill’s Focus

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