US approves major geothermal projects on public land and seeks to support others

The Biden Administration announced on Thursday measures to expand geothermal power on U.S. Public Lands, including the approval of a large project located in Utah and steps to accelerate permits for discovering new resources.

Why it's important

These moves align with the goal of President Joe Biden to eliminate emissions that contribute to climate change from the energy sector by 2035. The geothermal power is seen as an alternative to other traditional energy sources such as gas and coal, because unlike solar and winds, which are dependent on weather conditions, it can be used at any time of day.

KEY QUOTE

Steve Feldgus said, "Geothermal Energy is one of the greatest clean energy resources that we have not yet tapped on public lands."

CONTEXT

Meta Platforms announced in August that it would purchase geothermal energy to power its U.S.-based data centers. Data center usage has risen due to AI technology developments, which have increased electricity demands. Renewable energy sources, such as geothermal, are becoming more attractive.

By the Numbers

Fervo Cape Geothermal Project, located in Beaver County, Utah could produce up to 2 gigawatts of electricity, which is enough to power more than 2,000,000 homes. According to the Department of Energy, today the U.S. only has 4 GW of capacity for geothermal electricity.

What's Next?

The Department of Energy proposed a new categorical exemption, which is the quickest and most common type of environmental review for companies looking to develop new geothermal resource. This proposal would be applicable to drilling operations and other activities on up to 20 acres (or 8.09 hectares). The proposal aims to cut down on the time and costs required to approve a project. (Reporting and editing by Marguerita Choy; Nichola Groom)

(source: Reuters)