USGS Discovers Major Energy Boost for United States

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By Theo Burman, Newsweek. 

Excerpt: Geothermal energy from Nevada's Great Basin could supply as much as 10 percent of the United States' electricity needs, according to a newly released assessment by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The report estimates the area, which covers the majority of Nevada and extends into parts of Arizona, California, Idaho, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming, could generate 135 gigawatts of baseload power, if enhanced geothermal systems are deployed at scale. ...The USGS evaluation was conducted under the 2020 Energy Act, which saw the agency explore new ways of generating efficient energy from untapped resources. ...The report, published on Wednesday, includes newly developed maps of underground heat flows and refined extraction models that suggest geothermal deployment could increase the basin's productivity. Under the proposed model, water would be pumped as deep as 3.7 miles underground, heated by natural geological formations, and returned to the surface to generate electricity. ...This type of energy was one of the only renewable resources to be included in President Donald Trump's initial energy policy change, which saw fossil fuels like oil and gas receive new priority.... 

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