AltaRock Energy
Encyclopedia
AltaRock Energy Inc., headquartered in Seattle, Washington
and having a technology development office in Sausalito, California
, is a privately held corporation that focuses on the development of geothermal energy resources and Enhanced Geothermal Systems
(EGS). AltaRock has filed patent applications and holds exclusive licenses for related intellectual property related to EGS.
In 2008, it started its first project near The Geysers
to demonstrate the ability of EGS to be a reliable, renewable and clean source for the production of electric power
.
AltRock’s efforts to expand EGS technologies are supported by a 2006 Massachusetts Institute of Technology
(MIT) report
that concluded EGS has the potential to provide 100 GWe (gigawatts of electricity) or more for the U.S. by 2050.
Founded in 2007, AltaRock has received backing from investors such as Google.org
, Advanced Technology Ventures
, and Vulcan Capital, as well as demonstration grant funding from the United States Department of Energy
(DOE).
in the Deschutes National Forest
. The Newberry EGS Demonstration
is located on an existing Federal lease designated for geothermal use and is supported by a committee that includes representatives of the community, environmental groups, government and the geothermal industry.
AltaRock’s Newberry EGS Demonstration will create an EGS reservoir in the high-temperature, low-permeability resource present on the northwest flank of the Newberry Volcano
. The Demonstration will use hydraulic shearing (as opposed to hydraulic fracturing) and other stimulation techniques to induce and sustain fluid flow and geothermal heat extraction, culminating in the conceptual design of a commercial-scale well field and power plant. Water usage
and induced seismicity
analyses for the demonstration site have been completed and conclude the project poses little risk to the area or local communities.
geothermal field. The Geysers field has hundreds of megawatts of unused electric power generating capacity due to the lack of steam caused by several decades of reservoir depletion. At The Geysers demonstration, AltaRock intended to re-drill a well originally drilled in 1988 and used for years to inject water to produce steam for the existing geothermal power plants. Three attempts were made to re-drill the well from various depths but the drilling assembly became stuck each time in unstable serpentinite
formation. Drilling at The Geysers demonstration site has been suspended
while the company evaluates a number of alternative well locations at the Geysers and elsewhere for demonstrating this technology.
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
and having a technology development office in Sausalito, California
Sausalito, California
Sausalito is a San Francisco Bay Area city, in Marin County, California, United States. Sausalito is south-southeast of San Rafael, at an elevation of 13 feet . The population was 7,061 as of the 2010 census. The community is situated near the northern end of the Golden Gate Bridge, and prior to...
, is a privately held corporation that focuses on the development of geothermal energy resources and Enhanced Geothermal Systems
Enhanced geothermal systems
Enhanced Geothermal System is a new type of geothermal power technology that does not require natural convective hydrothermal resources. Until recently, geothermal power systems have exploited only resources where naturally occurring heat, water, and rock permeability are sufficient to allow...
(EGS). AltaRock has filed patent applications and holds exclusive licenses for related intellectual property related to EGS.
In 2008, it started its first project near The Geysers
The Geysers
The Geysers is a complex of 22 geothermal power plants, drawing steam from more than 350 wells, located in the Mayacamas Mountains north of San Francisco, California.The largest in the world, the Geysers has...
to demonstrate the ability of EGS to be a reliable, renewable and clean source for the production of electric power
Electric power
Electric power is the rate at which electric energy is transferred by an electric circuit. The SI unit of power is the watt.-Circuits:Electric power, like mechanical power, is represented by the letter P in electrical equations...
.
AltRock’s efforts to expand EGS technologies are supported by a 2006 Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
(MIT) report
that concluded EGS has the potential to provide 100 GWe (gigawatts of electricity) or more for the U.S. by 2050.
Founded in 2007, AltaRock has received backing from investors such as Google.org
Google.org
Google.org is the charitable arm of Internet search engine company Google.The organization has committed over $100 million in investments and grants as of May 2010. To fund the organization, Google granted them 3 million shares during their initial public offering. As of August 2011, Google.org's 3...
, Advanced Technology Ventures
Advanced Technology Ventures
Advanced Technology Ventures is an American venture capital firm with more than $1.8 billion in capital under management. The firm was founded in 1979 and invests in IT, healthcare and cleantech companies. ATV has offices in Waltham, Massachusetts and Palo Alto, California.-History:ATV was...
, and Vulcan Capital, as well as demonstration grant funding from the United States Department of Energy
United States Department of Energy
The United States Department of Energy is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government concerned with the United States' policies regarding energy and safety in handling nuclear material...
(DOE).
The Newberry EGS Demonstration
The company currently has a demonstration project underway about 30 miles south of Bend, OregonBend, Oregon
Bend is a city in and the county seat of Deschutes County, Oregon, United States, and the principal city of the Bend, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area. Bend is Central Oregon's largest city, and, despite its modest size, is the de facto metropolis of the region, owing to the low population...
in the Deschutes National Forest
Deschutes National Forest
The Deschutes National Forest is a United States National Forest located in parts of Deschutes, Klamath, Lake, and Jefferson counties in central Oregon. It comprises 1.8 million acres along the east side of the Cascade mountains. In 1908, the Deschutes National Forest was established from parts...
. The Newberry EGS Demonstration
is located on an existing Federal lease designated for geothermal use and is supported by a committee that includes representatives of the community, environmental groups, government and the geothermal industry.
AltaRock’s Newberry EGS Demonstration will create an EGS reservoir in the high-temperature, low-permeability resource present on the northwest flank of the Newberry Volcano
Newberry Volcano
Newberry Volcano is a large potentially active shield volcano located east of the Cascade Range and about southeast of Bend, Oregon. It is not a typical shield volcano. In addition to erupting basaltic lavas, it also has erupted andesitic and even rhyolitic lava.The volcano is in diameter and...
. The Demonstration will use hydraulic shearing (as opposed to hydraulic fracturing) and other stimulation techniques to induce and sustain fluid flow and geothermal heat extraction, culminating in the conceptual design of a commercial-scale well field and power plant. Water usage
and induced seismicity
analyses for the demonstration site have been completed and conclude the project poses little risk to the area or local communities.
The Geysers Demonstration
In 2008, AltaRock started a demonstration project at The GeysersThe Geysers
The Geysers is a complex of 22 geothermal power plants, drawing steam from more than 350 wells, located in the Mayacamas Mountains north of San Francisco, California.The largest in the world, the Geysers has...
geothermal field. The Geysers field has hundreds of megawatts of unused electric power generating capacity due to the lack of steam caused by several decades of reservoir depletion. At The Geysers demonstration, AltaRock intended to re-drill a well originally drilled in 1988 and used for years to inject water to produce steam for the existing geothermal power plants. Three attempts were made to re-drill the well from various depths but the drilling assembly became stuck each time in unstable serpentinite
Serpentinite
Serpentinite is a rock composed of one or more serpentine group minerals. Minerals in this group are formed by serpentinization, a hydration and metamorphic transformation of ultramafic rock from the Earth's mantle...
formation. Drilling at The Geysers demonstration site has been suspended
while the company evaluates a number of alternative well locations at the Geysers and elsewhere for demonstrating this technology.
External links
- AltaRock Energy Inc. website
- Geothermal Technologies Program - Enhanced Geothermal Systems (U.S. Department of Energy)
- Newberry Enhanced Geothermal Systems Demonstration
- Geothermal Technologies Program (U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE))