Energy Storage, GHG Emissions, Sourcing Renewables  -  April 18, 2024

Fort Bliss Tests Geothermal Initiative

Fort Bliss in Texas and the U.S. Army and the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) will begin a geothermal initiative to receive clean energy.

The initiative will be started by Sage Geosystems, the developer of Geopressured Geothermal Systems (GGS).

Sage Geosystems will explore the potential to deploy its proprietary GGS technology to supply clean energy to the base. Additionally, the company will evaluate the potential synergies of hybrid technologies such as direct thermal use, energy storage, and dispatchable power to support cost-effective energy resilience.

Sage Geosystem’s approach leverages hot dry rock, which is a more abundant geothermal resource than traditional hydrothermal (hot aquifer) formations. The company demonstrated the ability to deliver cost-effective and commercially viable new generation geothermal with its GGS design in the field in early 2022.

Sage Geosystems will commission a 3MW commercial EarthStore™ energy storage facility in late 2024 in the ERCOT South Load Zone of Texas. This milestone will accelerate the deployment of the company’s GGS technology.

“This is a win-win for the Army and Texas and marks the third geothermal initiative by the Department of Defense in the state,” said Ken Wisian, Associate Director of the Environmental Division of Bureau of Economic Geology, in a statement. “This initiative adds to the momentum of Texas as a leader in the 'geothermal anywhere' revolution, leveraging the robust oil and gas industry profile in the state.”

This initiative supports the U.S. Army Climate Strategy (ACS) goals of reducing GHG by 50% by 2030, net-zero GHG emissions by 2050 and installing a microgrid on every base by 2035.

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