Just last month, the US government released a report that highlighted the “enormous untapped potential” that geothermal energy, the heat naturally produced beneath Earth’s surface, could have in generating electricity within the country. Now, Canadian company Eavor Technologies is building a first-of-its-kind geothermal system in Alberta that could be put almost anywhere and could help the world finally tap into that potential.
The system is called the Eavor Loop, and to create it, Eavor is drilling two wells a few kilometers apart. Once each well is a few kilometers deep, Eavor will start drilling horizontally to connect the two. Eavor will then circulate a proprietary fluid through the tunnel. That liquid will collect heat from below the Earth’s surface, bringing it above ground where it can be transformed into usable electricity.
The Eavor Loop system requires no fracking and creates no greenhouse gas emissions, meaning it could allow the world to finally tap into the energy right beneath our feet, while causing minimal damage to the environment. While we must always proceed with caution when it comes to these kinds of solutions, it’s hard to ignore the potential of geothermal energy.
