say geothermal and hydrogen offer significant opportunities to build on the energy provided by wind, solar and batteries as the state, utilities and communities strive to reduce the effects of climate change. The reports review the potential for tapping more of the energy sources in Colorado as well as the benefits, challenges, economics and mechanics.
“It’s playing around in that 10% to 20% that we need to be above and beyond solar, storage and wind,” Polis said.Polis is especially bullish on geothermal. “There’s enormous potential, largely because of our seismology. We happen to have great subsurface heat in Colorado.” While most of the state east of the Front Range has the lowest estimated thermal resource, methods can be used to make geothermal work there, too, the report said. Colorado has long drawn on its many thermal springs for direct geothermal energy.
Hydrogen is viewed as a way to “decarbonize” shipping, steel-making and other heavy industrial uses. Hydrogen is used in petroleum refining, to make fertilizer, in rocket fuel and to power vehicles.Denver home combines solar and geothermal — but you’d never know it