Energy Resources Program Research Area:
Geothermal Energy Exploration and Development
There are two main objectives of the Energy Resources Program’s geothermal energy development research:
- to reduce uncertainties associated with finding, characterizing, and evaluating geothermal resources, and
- to develop and understand the enhancement of current geothermal systems to significantly increase production, i.e., EGS.
The ultimate purpose is to lower the cost of geothermal energy for electrical generation or direct uses (e.g., agricultural and industrial applications, aquaculture, balneology). The program encompasses theoretical, laboratory, and field studies, with an emphasis on multidisciplinary approaches to solving the problems at hand.