Energyforum

Google's philanthropic arm, Google.org, will fund research on new technologies for geothermal development as well as "next-generation" geothermal resource mapping and a policy agency for geothermal energy, the company said in a statement.

In so-called Enhanced Geothermal Systems, the conditions needed for geothermal generation of naturally occurring pockets of steam and hot water are replicated by fracturing hot rock, circulating water through the system and using the resulting steam to produce electricity in conventional turbines.

"EGS could be the 'killer app' of the energy world," said Dan Reicher, Director of Climate and Energy Initiatives for Google.org. "It has the potential to deliver vast quantities of power 24/7 and be captured nearly anywhere on the planet.

And it would be a perfect complement to intermittent sources like solar and wind." Google.org will provide $6.25 million to AltaRock Energy to improve the performance of EGS. Petter Drilling will receive $4 million to develop new drilling techniques for the technology.

An additional grant for $489,521 will go to Southern Methodist University Geothermal Lab to study geothermal resources and update geothermal mapping in North America, the company said. Google.org is also focusing on advanced solar thermal and wind energy systems as part of the initiative it announced in 2007 to develop enough renewable energy capacity to power a city the size of San Francisco.