A Houston geothermal company announced a first-of-its-kind project Tuesday that would allow for the storage of geothermal energy to power the state’s grid — a major milestone for the budding industry.
Sage Geosystems announced it had entered a land use agreement with utility San Miguel Electric Cooperative to launch an energy storage facility later this year in Christine, Texas. Dubbed the “EarthStore” facility, the storage system will be paired with renewables to provide energy to Texas’ grid. When combined with solar energy, it will allow for 24/7 electricity generation at a low cost.
Geothermal energy — which is heat extracted from the Earth’s interior — has been around for centuries, but its commercial use has been around since the early 1900s. Since then, it’s been a relatively small industry, facing hindrances that stem from high costs and permitting hurdles. However, its adoption has ramped up in recent years, as many in the industry see it as a less carbon-intensive source of energy that can run whenever, despite weather conditions.
“Once operational, our EarthStore facility in Christine will be the first geothermal energy storage system to store potential energy deep in the earth and supply electrons to a power grid,” said Cindy Taff, CEO of Sage Geosystems. “Electric utilities and co-ops like SMECI, will be able to use our technology to complement wind and solar, and stabilize the grid.”
Sage will act as a facilitator to sell electricity to ERCOT, the organization that regulates Texas’s grid. The company touted geothermal storage as a viable alternative compared to solar and wind, whose energy can only be stored in short durations. The facility will be located near SMECI’s coal power plant, and will use Sage’s technology to store energy at six- to 10-hour durations. The companies expect the cost of generation to be under 10 cents per kilowatt hour.
Sage will still have to apply for two drilling permits in Texas — one for the EarthStore facility and the second will be adjacent to the company’s existing test well.
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While the advancement of geothermal has been mostly bipartisan, some environmental advocates have expressed concerns over the environmental impact of the projects. Although geothermal releases relatively less emissions into the air, some greenhouse gasses — such as carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide — are emitted into the atmosphere. Pollution can also seep into surrounding water, killing local fish and wildlife. Furthermore, the extraction of geothermal can cause localized seismic activity if it is not properly contained.
Still, many see geothermal as a cleaner method of extracting energy that’s more consistently available than renewables, which depend on whether the wind is blowing or the sun is out. A bipartisan permitting reform proposal from Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and John Barrasso (R-WY) have provisions that would streamline the approval process for geothermal energy and boost the industry at large.. And earlier this year, the Bureau of Land Management adopted actions that would look to approve geothermal projects more quickly.