AltaRock Energy and Davenport Newberry have set up a $43
million plan to begin hydrofracking the Newberry Volcano in Oregon in order to
extract clean energy from its molten-hot rocks below. Sitting just above 2,400
degrees Fahrenheit, the rocks will turn injected water from cracks above into
geothermal reservoirs, producing steam and powering turbines to create
electricity.
In the past, fracking has been used to extract fossil fuels.
This new approach could be the spark that leads us to a more cost-efficient and
green energy source. Some are skeptical of the extraction method, citing the
potential to trigger earthquakes. Newberry Volcano also hasn’t seen an eruption
in over a thousand years, but it’s possible it will erupt again—though we don’t
know when.
According to the Royal Society and the Royal Academy of
Engineering, though, an earthquake is unlikely to be triggered if the process
is closely monitored and regulated. And Susan Petty, the founder of AltaRock
says there is no real risk of water contamination, earthquakes, or volcanic
activity associated with the project.
Testing is set to begin this fall after production wells are
drilled to connect the rock fractures through which the pressurized water will
travel. Seismic activity will be monitored for safety purposes, and AltaRock
hopes that by 2014 the testing phase will be complete.
If the method is proven to be cost-efficient, safe, and
efficient, then this may pave the way to better, cleaner, cheaper energy. It’s
possible that someday the rock formations beneath volcanoes could help to generate
hundreds of gigawatts of electricity, powering anywhere between 10 and 50
percent of the U.S. power fleet today.
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