Here’s a term you should know: Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS). These power systems create electricity by using the heat deep below the Earth’s surface. The government and Google.org (a great outfit) showed their support for this young technology by throwing a combined $100 million at it, and while that initial investment is only the beginning of what is needed, it shows that the technology is getting some much needed attention.

Perhaps a better explanation:

EGS is a baseload resource, meaning that unlike wind or solar power, it will operate all day/all year whether the sun is shining or the wind is blowing. Another advantage is that this type of power is essentially engineered into a closed system where the water used to run the turbines is recycled. Sounds game changing, huh.

Well as great as Enhanced Geothermal is, it is still a long way from large-scale, commercial deployment. It is reassuring to know, however, that we have money and brainpower flowing into these projects. And the combination of these renewable resources is the only way we can count on a bright future. A future where EGS counts on one of our oldest constants, Mother Earth.

Check out this report for an extremely detailed look at Enhanced Geothermal Systems (14mb pdf).