Geothermal refers to a science that is responsible for studying the thermal phenomena that occur inside the planet.
Geothermal energy also includes the set of industrial processes that make it possible to harness geothermal energy for the benefit of human beings.
In the United States, geothermal energy can represent a successful solution to store large amounts of energy that allow supply the electrical network of this country. In fact, geothermal energy has been used for a long time as a source of heating and electricity generation.
However, recent discoveries have revealed new opportunities that could favor massive implementation of geothermal energy in this nation.
In this sense, a team of researchers from Princeton University undertook the task of carrying out a study where they demonstrated the feasibility of geothermal energy to be used as a source of energy storage, thus representing a complementary alternative to wind and solar energy.
It is worth mentioning that geothermal energy has been a technology used for centuries to generate heating. Over time, it went through a series of changes that led it to diversify, currently being used for supply energy to industryas well as activate heat pumps and provide electricity to the grid.
However, the scope that geothermal energy has had in grid-scale electricity generation has been limited due to the geographical limitations offered by the terrain.
Even so, experts in the field are working on the development of new technologies that overcome these difficulties and make it possible to massify the generation of electricity from geothermal energy.
This is an innovation that would use oil and gas technologies, specifically the directional drilling and hydraulic stimulation, to produce artificial fracture systems in areas where the presence of hot and impermeable rock is detected.
If this is successful, the companies responsible for negotiating the use of these techniques would be making a clean and renewable resource available to those who need it in the United States, endowed with characteristics that make it capable of generating hundreds of gigawatts.
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