Steam rising during April 2024 experiments at the Utah FORGE site. The successful test was another step toward realizing the commercial viability of geothermal energy, the lab said.
“This is a group that doesn’t do too many high fives,” said researcher John McLennan, laughing, “but it was a huge relief and feeling of satisfaction for everybody.” Traditional geothermal power plants tap into underground reservoirs with three features: heat, water and permeability. The plants direct water down one well, where the earth’s heat warms it as it travels through cracks in hot rock toward another well. Next, they draw the heated water back to the surface. The steam from the heated water can spin a turbine, which in turn activates a generator to produce electricity.
The drill site for Utah FORGE, the nation's largest geothermal experiment, north of the town of Milford, on Thursday, July 6, 2023.