In late January, a geothermal power startup began conducting experiments where it pumped water deep below the desert floor of northern Nevada.
The results—which MIT Technology Review is reporting exclusively—suggest that Houston-based Fervo can create flexible geothermal power plants, capable of ramping electricity output up or down as needed.
Potentially more importantly, the system can store up energy for hours or even days and deliver it back over similar periods, effectively acting as a giant and very long-lasting battery.
There are remaining questions about how well this method will work on larger scales. But if it succeeds, it could fill a critical gap in today’s grids, making it cheaper and easier to eliminate greenhouse-gas emissions. Read the full story./