The title of this post indicated it’s the third part in this series. The first part was posted a little over a year ago, and the second this spring. This post is about Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS).
The principal elements of heat, water, and permeability—when found together and in sufficient amounts—can support cost-competitive rates of geothermal energy extraction. Independent of water and permeability, thermal energy (heat) exists everywhere on Earth and increases with depth. At the most basic level, EGS are manmade geothermal reservoirs. Where the subsurface is hot but contains little permeability and/or fluid, pumping water into wells could stimulate the formation of a geothermal reservoir capable of supporting commercial rates of energy extraction.