Google Enhances Green Technology Development

Mega search engine Google.com, today announced an investment of $10.25 million in advancing the development of green technologies. Google is supporting a technology called, Enhanced Geothermal Systems, to help meet its goal of providing enough green energy to power a city the size of San Francisco. Through Google’s philanthropic entity Google.org, an initiative dubbed “Renewable Energy Cheaper than Coal” has been laid out to make this goal a reality.

Enhanced Geothermal Systems generates energy by pumping cool water 2-3 miles into a reservoir lying on top of dry, hot basement rock. The water is then pumped back to the surface at which point in condenses and creates powerful steam that is used to propel turbines. After the steam cools, it is re-injected back into the reservoir to begin the process again. This process allows energy extraction in areas that do not have natural steam pockets and hot flowing water.

The investments pledged by Google will go to help fund 2 companies and a university working on the development of Enhanced Geothermal Systems. $6.25 million will go to AltaRock Energy, Inc, which will work to reduce the cost and efficiency of EGS technology. Potter Drilling, Inc. has been given $4 million to design drilling tools capable of penetrating deeper and stronger rock. Southern Methodist University Geothermal Lab has been awarded a $489,521 grant to update geothermal maps and study geothermal resources in North America........