Energy Unplugged by Aurora EP.239 Dawn Owens on Geothermal Power in the US
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Apr 15, 2025 Dawn Owens, Head of Project Development at Fervo Energy and an Adjunct Lecturer at Stanford, dives deep into the fascinating world of geothermal power. She contrasts traditional methods with innovative enhanced geothermal systems, illustrating their vast potential. The discussion explores the challenges of commercialization, market incentives for flexibility, and the engineering complexities involved in developing geothermal projects. With her extensive experience, Dawn sheds light on how geothermal energy can evolve as a crucial player in the U.S. power landscape.
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Enhanced Geothermal Systems Explained
- Enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) engineer subsurface permeability, unlike traditional geothermal requiring natural permeability.
- This innovation allows scalable geothermal energy access beyond geologically active natural reservoirs.
Fiber Optic Sensing is a Game-Changer
- Real-time fiber optic sensing provides detailed subsurface data enabling more precise geothermal reservoir management.
- This "earth MRI" accelerates learning and reduces uncertainty in enhanced geothermal systems.
EGS Projects Are Larger and Discreet
- Traditional geothermal projects are small (~30 MW) and geographically limited while EGS projects are much larger (over 200 MW).
- EGS projects have a small surface footprint with most infrastructure underground, minimizing environmental impact.
