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Endurance Energy to Deploy 100 kW Geothermal Generator Off Oregon Coast in September

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Endurance Energy to Deploy 100 kW Geothermal Generator Off Oregon Coast in September

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Seattle startup Endurance Energy will deploy a 100-kilowatt geothermal generator to the seafloor off Oregon's coast in September. The pilot project, the fifth of its kind, will test converting heat from a hydrothermal vent reaching 750 degrees Fahrenheit into emissions-free electricity. The company aims to demonstrate the technology's potential to provide round-the-clock clean power.

Key Facts

  • Endurance Energy will deploy a 100-kilowatt geothermal generator to the seafloor off Oregon's coast in September.
  • The hydrothermal vent at the deployment site emits temperatures of up to 750 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • The pilot project is the fifth of its kind, according to the team behind the project.
  • Founder and CEO Andrew Redd said the technology could someday sustainably power entire cities.

Pilot Deployment

Endurance Energy will deploy a 100-kilowatt geothermal generator to the seafloor off Oregon's coast in September. The generator will be placed at a hydrothermal vent that emits temperatures of up to 750 degrees Fahrenheit. The pilot project is the fifth of its kind and will continue testing the viability of turning that heat into commercially competitive, round-the-clock, and emissions-free electricity.

Geothermal Advantages

Geothermal energy has attracted increased attention for its potential to provide baseload clean power, unlike variable wind and solar sources. Geothermal is one of the few clean energy forms with broad bipartisan support, making it attractive to investors in the current policy climate. Historically, geothermal has been viable only in rare geographies where heat escapes to the surface, such as geysers or underwater volcanoes.

Enhanced Geothermal

Advanced drilling techniques borrowed from the fossil fuels industry now allow geothermal companies to tap heat from the planet's core nearly anywhere on its surface. These enhanced geothermal projects have quickly become the new face of geothermal energy but still have a long way to go before becoming commercially competitive. Underwater geothermal development will almost always be more costly than onshore development, though marine projects avoid land competition and not-in-my-backyard opposition.

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