A consortium led by Los Alamos National Laboratory received pre-approval from Tradewinds Solutions Marketplace for its Project GeoForce.
The LANL said Monday the Project GeoForce is now primed for rapid deployment on U.S. military bases. The national laboratory collaborated with Anthem Energy Partners, New Era Advisors, Homestead Resources, Texas A&M University and Power Planet on the project, which is intended to deliver readily available geothermal energy services to the government.
What Technologies Underlie GeoForce?
LANL is responsible for the project’s modeling software, the Geothermal Design Tool. The GeoDT streamlines prospecting and evaluation of geothermal sites while enabling users to assess their potential economic viability.
“Our team is deploying Los Alamos’ GeoDT and Fracture Caging technology to generate no less than 25 megawatts at a price less than 8 cents per kilowatt-hour from unconventional hot dry rock geothermal resources,” said Luke Frash, Project GeoForce lead at Los Alamos. “This opportunity allows us to help a wider audience secure access to affordable energy.”
“The U.S. Air Force leveraged the Tradewinds solicitation process to quickly collaborate with innovative American companies to build resilient, next-generation geothermal technologies at our bases, using private capital instead of taxpayer dollars,” said Kirk Phillips, director of the Air Force Office of Energy Assurance.
Geothermal energy is a cost-effective energy resource that remains underutilized as it comprises only 0.4 percent of the country’s total energy output in 2023, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
