The House Committee on Science, Space and Technology will mark up four bills this week, including one that aims to supercharge a promising form of geothermal energy development.
Chair Frank Lucas (R-Okla.) and Rep. Andrea Salinas (D-Ore.) last week introduced their “Supercritical Geothermal Research and Development Act,” H.R. 8665, to establish new programs at the Department of Energy dedicated to geothermal.
Sometimes referred to as “superhot rock geothermal,” it’s a form of renewable energy production that involves drilling deep into the earth to access dry rocks at around 400 degrees Celsius.
Those rocks can naturally heat up water or other liquids that are injected into the earth, converting that liquid into a supercritical state that can power a turbine.
