The Clean Energy Revolution · 2024-10-24 · 29 min
It’s an exciting time for geothermal energy. The US Department of Energy predicts geothermal power generation capacity to grow by 26 times by 2050, potentially providing almost 10% of the US’ total power needs. To talk about the policy and technology that’s needed to achieve this goal is Kevin Jones, enhanced geothermal program manager at the DOE. He speaks to Carolyn Kissane about pilot projects in the US and the pioneering work they are doing. What makes geothermal so exciting is its reliability as it’s available 24/7, whatever the weather. Enhanced geothermal systems are also revolutionising the field, allowing for the extraction of heat from deeper, previously unreachable rock formations. This cutting-edge technology opens up vast new areas for geothermal development, even in regions without traditional geothermal activity. Michael Webber is a professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Texas in Austin, and he also joins the show to talk Carolyn through the technology that could unlock enough power to meet 3-5% of the world’s demands by 2050. It's not only electricity generation that geothermal energy can provide.
Meet the unsung heroes of the electricity grid | Behind the scenes with overhead lineworkers54 / 100
AI and energy: the new power couple?
Women Leading the Energy Transition
Innovating for a clean energy transition | Part 2: the technology that’s driving change
Innovating for a clean energy transition | Part 1: why we must collaborate to innovate