Jesse Nichols of Grist outlines how AltaRock is looking for a geothermal breakthrough.
- AltaRock is looking to expand geothermal use in the United States by drilling underneath Newberry Volcano in Oregon.
- By tapping into the hot magma underneath the volcano AltaRock would be able to extract more energy and at a more effective rate.
- The company is currently researching new drilling technologies that would enable them to reach these high temperature areas.
- Private sector innovation is advancing clean energy.
“If Altarock is going to reach those super hot temperatures beyond Newberry, they’re going to need to drill deeper. And that’s really hard to do with conventional drills. Instead, they’re hoping to use another type of new technology that sounds like science fiction: A heat ray to melt rocks. It’s called a millimeter wave — it’s kind of like a laser, in a different part of the spectrum.”
Read the full article here.
The views and opinions expressed are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of C3.
