Progress in making hot dry rock geothermal energy a viable renewable energy resource for America in the 21st century

The geothermal energy in hot dry rock (HDR) is a vast resource found almost everywhere in the world. Research and development work conducted by the Los Alamos National Laboratory at the Fenton Hill test site has taken the technology to extract HDR energy from the conceptual stage through a concrete demonstration such that useful amounts of energy can be routinely produced. Flow testing during 1992-1995 has shown that HDR systems are reliable and resilient. HDR technology has a number of unique characteristics that make it particularly suited to the developing energy needs of the world. These include operational flexibility that can provide energy as needed to rapidly meet peaking or unanticipated power demands and the potential for cogeneration of both energy and clean water. HDR technology has been shown to be practical and versatile. The next logical step in making HDR a viable energy resource is to develop an HDR system that will generate and market power, thereby providing the practical operating and economic data needed to promote the rapid commercial application of this unique energy technology