Rich in oil and gas, Texas looks to geothermal

[jpak]

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=domesticNews&storyID=2007-01-12T214800Z_01_N12306254_RTRUKOC_0_US-ENERGY-GEOTHERMAL-TEXAS.xml&WTmodLoc=USNewsHome_C2_domesticNews-2

HOUSTON (Reuters) - Texas is known for oil and gas, but the state said on Friday it will sell its first leases for development of geothermal energy.

Tracts totaling 11,000 acres in state-owned coastal waters in the Gulf of Mexico will be up for lease on Tuesday as part of an annual winter oil and gas lease sale, the Texas General Land Office said in a news release.

The areas to be bid on are known to have hot geologic strata below the surface, the agency said.

The state hopes the land can be drilled and water circulated through the geothermal layer and turned into steam to help generate electricity.

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[sce56]

1. Geothermal is a Hell of a lot cleaner than Oil.

[Dogmudgeon]

2. Deep Geothermal (so-called) could be developed almost anywhere

Most areas are not suited to standard geothermal development; but drill deeper, and there is just about no place that wouldn't have an adequate source of energy. The main problem, obviously, is drilling more than two miles deep (and there is currently a "carbon cost" associated with it), but the rewards could be considerable.

It also has the advantage of using technologies already developed for oil (drilling, drilling, and more drilling) and nuclear energy (superheated water or other liquids to drive turbines).

It's worth working on. But there's a major land-grab now in progress, in anticipation of biofuels.

--p!