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Talk title: Enhanced Geothermal Systems: Are We There Yet?

Abstract: Geothermal energy has undergone a renaissance over the past 15 years, as many new technologies and new countries have joined the industry. Climate change concerns have focused attention on renewable energy, supported by a global ambition to address greenhouse gas reduction. Geothermal developments have accelerated in many parts of the world, both in countries (such as Turkey, Indonesia, Kenya, New Zealand, and the US) that have a traditional interest in "conventional" geothermal resources, as well as countries without a historical community in geothermal energy (such as France and Germany). Some new developments have followed well-worn paths using conventional hydrothermal resources in volcanic regions, while others have struck out in new directions in Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS) projects in nonvolcanic regions. Technology has allowed for developments of conventional resources with lower temperature, restricted water access, and constrained surface utilization. EGS projects have launched in a variety of different directions and places. The use of innovative hybrid plants, lower resource temperatures and enhanced reservoir stimulation has made geothermal energy accessible in a much wider variety of places.

Speaker Bio: Roland N. Horne is the Thomas Davis Barrow Professor of Earth Sciences and Professor of Energy Science and Engineering at Stanford University, and Director of the Stanford Geothermal Program. He was the Chairman of the Department of Petroleum Engineering at Stanford from 1995 to 2006. He served on the International Geothermal Association (IGA) Board and was the 2010-2013 President of IGA. He was Technical Program Chairman of the World Geothermal Congress 2005 in Turkey, 2010 in Bali, Melbourne in 2015, and in Iceland in 2020-2021. Roland is a member of the US National Academy of Engineering and an Honorary Member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers. He is also a Fellow of the School of Engineering, University of Tokyo and an Honorary Professor of China University of Petroleum – East China.

More about the Stanford Energy Seminar

The Stanford Energy Seminar has been a mainstay of energy engagement at Stanford for nearly 20 years and is one of the flagship programs of the Precourt Institute for Energy. We aim to bring a wide variety of perspectives to the Stanford community – academics, entrepreneurs, utilities, big businesses, and more. We're proud to have hosted some of the biggest names in the energy world as well as those just starting out. 

Seminars take place most Mondays during the academic year and typically have an audience of 100+ attendees. Anyone with an interest in energy is welcome to join one seminar or all of them! You can enjoy seminars in the following ways:

• Attend live. The auditorium may change quarter by quarter, so check each seminar event to confirm location. Explore the current quarter's schedule.
• Watch live in a browser livestream. Check each seminar event for its unique livestream URL.
• Watch recordings of past seminars 
  • Available on the Past Energy Seminars page and the Energy Seminars playlist of the Stanford Energy YouTube channel
• (For students) Take the seminar as a 1-unit class (CEE 301/ENERGY 301/MS&E 494)

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