Seattle-based AltaRock Energy hopes to begin testing a new process for developing underground reservoirs that would allow far greater usage of geothermal energy, according to The Associated Press.
As the country has moved toward renewable energy, the issue of intermittency has become substantially more difficult to deal with, as wind and solar can often prove unpredictable and are generally unresponsive.
Geothermal energy represents an appealing solution to this problem, being able to use the steam from water pumped into the ground to produce clean energy all day, year-round. The biggest issue with the technology is that it can be difficult to make underground reservoirs large enough to power a full-scale plant.
"We know the heat is there," Susan Petty, president of AltaRock, told the AP. "The big issue is can we circulate enough water through the system to make it economic."
AltaRock has developed one of a growing number of Enhanced Geothermal Systems in an attempt to make use of this energy source, and a new project looks to test their methodology in the dormant Newberry Volcano in central Oregon. However, the trial is being tightly monitored, as this methodology raises many of the same concerns about earthquakes as have been attributed to fracking.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration notes that America drew around 0.36 percent of its electricity from geothermal sources in 2008.
PennEnergy's Research area offers information on geothermal energy in the U.S.