Across Colorado, sprawling solar energy farms and towering wind power turbines may soon make way for a newer, more experimental form of green energy: geothermal power.
Geothermal energy is generated by tapping into hot water trapped in rock deep below the Earth’s surface.
Many different technologies and approaches are being tested to see what will be most effective in Colorado. The state’s Energy Office plans to give out $7.7 million in grants to companies and institutions hoping to study and test geothermal technologies.
Local News
Colorado governor, state lawmakers push for geothermal energy
Meghan Lopez – Denver7 8:28 PM, Aug 03, 2022
Colorado Governor Jared Polis calls it “the heat beneath our feet,” and sees geothermal as so promising that he named it an initiative for the Western Governors’ Association last year. Colorado is one of five Western states holding 95% of the United States’ geothermal potential.
When announcing the new grants, Polis said, “Nation-leading efforts to develop Colorado’s geothermal energy resources is essential to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, while creating stable, good-paying jobs in just transition communities and ensuring affordable and reliable access to clean energy for all Coloradans.”