40 JUNE 2023 WorldWide Drilling Resource® Department of Defense Takes a Deeper Look at EGS Adapted from Information by Joint Base San Antonio Despite geothermal energy’s many advantages, numerous technical, financial, geological, and legal barriers have prevented the U.S. government’s ability to construct a geothermal facility on federal land to supply electricity directly to its missions. In an effort to change this, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) has decided to take a deeper look at the possibility of using Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS). EGS is still in the early demonstration project phase, but that may soon change once the technology is tested through a new DOD pilot program. Two locations have been selected for the pilot project - Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA) in Texas, and Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho. One of the key issues is while older geothermal electric information and options are available, next-generation EGS companies are fairly new, and there is little to no commercial EGS information available for purchase. This is why the DOD generated the pilot and selected the San Antonio-Electromagnetic Defense (SA-EMD) collaborative to help solve the issue. Since SA-EMD is already working on resiliency in power, water, and other essential services, it made sense for the DOD to ask JBSA to study and test geothermal options as well, said Michael Lovell, JBSA-Electromagnetic Defense Initiative and SA-EMD executive director. “When it comes to military missions, it is vital that energy be available when needed to ensure national security,” Lovell said. “But as long as DOD relies on off-site utilities, there may be vulnerabilities in everyday operations on a military installation.” The Air Force and Space Force are also dependent on off-site electricity to conduct globe-spanning missions in air, space, and cyberspace. This energy dependence creates risks to missions due to disruptions from extreme weather or the possibility of cybersecurity attacks. Congress also recognized the importance of having dependable energy for military missions. In fact, the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act directed the DOD to provide critical missions with 99.9% reliable energy by 2030. Through the pilot, the DOD is seeking to prototype innovative on-site geothermal solutions to address energy needs through geothermal electricity generation and distribution. The major benefit of tapping into the earth’s heat energy is it’s virtually endless. According to the Department of Energy's Geothermal Technologies Office, “Heat is naturally present everywhere in the earth. For all intents and purposes, heat from the earth is inexhaustible.” Staff members working supporting SA-EMD are excited to bring another innovative pilot program to JBSA. “One of the reasons JBSA was selected for this effort was the high number of partnerships we have through SA-EMD with technology, academia, and industry professionals locally, across the country, and around the world,” Lovell said. It is expected that through the pilot’s collaborative efforts and testing, a geothermal prototype will be able to explore JBSA’s onsite geothermal resources; develop those resources; and design a conceptual geothermal facility which may be a viable option to providing electricity to the installation on a 24-hour, 7-day-a-week basis. One of the other missions of the pilot project is, with the assistance of industry-wide experts, to develop technologies suitable for the various geologic settings at various DOD installations across the United States. “Because of the military’s dependence on electrical power to gain and keep our strategic advantage, the DOD, Department of the Air Force, and Space Force are eager to pursue innovative geothermal projects, and we are equally as eager to help them,” Lovell said. The U.S. Navy’s geothermal facility in China Lake, California, has been operational since the 1980s. GEO For more information call: (270) 786-3010 or visit us online: www.geothermalsupply.com All New! Atlantis-Pro Vault • Traffic-Rated Capable • Simple installation • Trouble-free operation Drilling Fundamentals by: Hydraulic Training Associates Hydraulic Schematic Troubleshooting Training July 13-15 ~ Athol, ID phone: 503-543-7791 www.htahydraulics.com Groundwater / Water Well by: Princeton Groundwater, Inc. Pollution & Hydrology Course July 24-28 ~ LIVE ONLINE July 31-August 3 ~ LIVE ONLINE phone: 813-964-0800 www.princeton-groundwater.com Irrigation by: Rain Bird Academy Training July 10-14 ~ Oklahoma City, OK July 11-13 ~ Hollywood, FL July 31-August 4 ~ Houston, TX phone: 800-498-1942 E-mail: training@rainbird.com More education opportunities during events can be found by clicking here online at: worldwidedrillingresource.com Education Connection
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