There are seven notable states for geothermal production in the United States: California, Nevada, Utah, Oregon, Hawaii, Idaho, and New Mexico. Based on the table below, what state produces the largest geothermal share of that state’s total electricity generation? California Incorrect Colorado Incorrect Nevada Correct Oregon Incorrect Washington Incorrect High Temperature Geothermal Power Production in …
Geothermal development activities in general terms are likely to be no different than any other industrial activity of equivalent scope. Noise levels are elevated during road construction, drilling and stimulation at well sites, and well testing. This quality of life concern exists for other well drilling activity, which is typically of high intensity and short …
Few, if any, studies have been published in open literature on traffic issues related to geothermal development, though, exploration, well drilling, and infrastructure development activities would be similar to oil and gas development. The Academy of Medicine, Engineering and Science of Texas (“TAMEST”) recently summarized changes in truck traffic and truckloads associated with unconventional oil …
All energy systems, whether they generate molecules or electrons, require construction of infrastructure, such as wells, turbines, pipelines, power plants, transmission lines, etc. Surface space to host production facilities is required across the board, whatever the energy source may be. Fortunately, given the design, deployment, and use of many different utility scale energy systems for …
Fluid-removal rates of geothermal must be carefully monitored to avoid land subsidence. Land subsidence is a gradual sinking of the earth’s surface in response to the removal of fluids within the pore spaces of underlying rocks. If fluid removal rates and volumes exceed reinjection rates and volumes, subsurface reservoirs could consolidate, leading to land subsidence …
The exploration and drilling phases of geothermal projects have specific environmental concerns that are distinct from the operational phases of these projects. Potential exploration and development concerns may include water (for example, water quantity use, groundwater contamination, disposal, and remediation), induced seismicity, and land subsidence caused mainly by fluid withdrawal. Let’s take a look at …
Induced seismicity refers to small earthquakes (typically between a magnitude of 1.0 and 3.5 on the Richter scale) that may occur as a result of human activity. The environmental consideration is that activities such as stimulating a geothermal reservoir or injecting fluid to replenish a geothermal reservoir may cause induced seismicity. Learnings from the Oil …
Potential environmental impacts related to geothermal plant operations and maintenance include water, air, solids (heavy metals and/or other contaminants), land use, traffic, and noise. Let’s take a look at these concerns over the next few topic pages. Water & Fluid Management Produced fluid management during geothermal plant operations depends primarily on the type of plant …
Any type of drilling produces waste material and wastewater, and thus, water contamination has long been an area of research and mitigation in drilling applications. Geothermal can take advantage of this legacy of environmental focus by adapting and refining management practices from the oil and gas industry. Methods of water management and safe disposal are …
In this exercise, you will work on a design project and estimate a real-world scenario where geothermal energy is converted to electrical power. By the end of the exercise, you will calculate the power output of a proposed Geothermal Power Plant and the number of homes that could be powered by this plant during peak …
Design Project: Estimating Power Output from Geothermal Read More »