From Hot Rocks to Clean Power: Roland Horne on the Future of Geothermal

If it seems like you're hearing a lot more about geothermal energy lately, that's because this clean, firm energy source is at a technological turning point.

With roots in the 1970s, enhanced geothermal systems aren't exactly new. But they're finally hitting paydirt — or rather, steam — thanks to improved drilling techniques borrowed from the fracking boom.

These advances have made geothermal energy production potentially viable outside of the Western states in the US, where it's long been a small but steady source of power. 

So what is the state of geothermal energy and what's behind the current surge in innovation? How are falling costs and sustained policy support helping geothermal producers gain more traction right now? And what are the next technical frontiers that could lead to even more productive geothermal wells?

This week, Bill Loveless speaks to Roland Horne about the state of geothermal technology, particularly enhanced geothermal systems.

Roland is the Thomas Davies Barrow professor of earth sciences, professor of energy science and engineering, and director of the geothermal program at Stanford University. He's also a senior fellow at Stanford's Precourt Institute for Energy. Over his career, he has made significant technical contributions to the field of geothermal energy production

Credits: Hosted by Jason Bordoff and Bill Loveless. Produced by Mary Catherine O'Connor, Caroline Pitman, and Kyu Lee. Engineering by Gregory Vilfranc.