WASHINGTON, DC — The Department of Energy (DOE) has announced the selection of two companies under a cooperative agreement to develop and demonstrate an Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS) in California. DOE will provide $4.5 million over the next five years to support the $12 million effort by the University of Utah’s Energy and Geoscience Institute (UU-EGI) and Caithness Energy, LLC, New York, NY, to increase energy production in the Coso geothermal field.
“The new system is expected to add about 15 megawatts of electrical capacity — enough to power 11,250 homes — to the 270 megawatts now being generated at the site,” Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham said.