Key takeaways
- Alaska can anchor a new U.S. geoeconomic energy vector because its ports, cities, and military facilities often sit atop or near high geothermal potential.
- Financing first-of-a-kind geothermal demonstration projects in Alaska could de-risk the resource and catalyze broader scale-up across the Pacific Rim.
- Reaching eventual multi-gigawatt geothermal scale would strengthen U.S. strategic resilience and that of allies such as Taiwan, which face Chinese energy coercion.
- Government agencies can be early adopters of geothermal power through their large facility footprints, resilience needs, and ability to underwrite power purchase agreements.
- The Department of Defense and other agencies have helped nuclear power and grid-size batteries reach commercial scale since World War II, a model geothermal could follow.
Gabriel Collins, J.D., Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, Center for Energy Studies[1]
Strategic energy technologies often start small but can scale quickly with judicious front-end policy support if they possess competitive thermodynamic and technological advantages. Since World War II, the U.S. Department of Defense and other agencies have played key roles in helping nuclear power, grid-size batteries, and other new energy concepts achieve commercial scale. Geothermal energy development now presents the next such development opportunity. As the US Energy Information Administration explains, “[t]he slow decay of radioactive particles in the Earth’s core” creates hot rock and subsurface water that can be tapped for direct heat and to create steam energy that spins turbines and generates electricity.
The Pacific Rim is one of the world’s most promising prospective places for expanding geothermal power development, with advantages for both local energy security, emissions reduction, and U.S. geoeconomic position. Alaska can anchor this new geoeconomic energy vector. America’s largest and westernmost state features strategically located ports, cities, and current (and likely future) military facilities that often sit atop or near areas of high geothermal potential.
To realize this potential requires financing “first of a kind” demonstration projects that, if successful, can de-risk the resource and catalyze broader regional scale-up. Achieving eventual multi-gigawatt scale would both enhance U.S. strategic resilience and, critically, the strategic resilience of allies such as Taiwan who face coercion, especially over energy, by China. Key government agencies’ substantial facility footprints, need for resilience, and ability to underwrite power purchase agreements can make them transformative early adopters…
Full article available from Foreign Policy here: https://foreignpolicy.com/2024/10/07/alaska-geothermal-military-china/
[1] This article exclusively consists of the author’s personal views and does not reflect the assessments or positions of any entity he is associated with.
Frequently asked questions
Why is Alaska a strategic location for geothermal energy?
Alaska is strategic for geothermal energy because its ports, cities, and current and likely future military facilities often sit atop or near areas of high geothermal potential. Gabriel Collins argues that America’s largest and westernmost state can anchor a new geoeconomic energy vector across the Pacific Rim, one of the world’s most promising geothermal regions.
How does geothermal energy generate electricity?
Geothermal energy generates electricity by tapping hot rock and subsurface water to create steam that spins turbines. According to the US Energy Information Administration, the slow decay of radioactive particles in the Earth’s core produces this heat, which can also be used directly for heating rather than only for power generation.
What role could the military play in geothermal energy development?
The Department of Defense and other government agencies could serve as transformative early adopters of geothermal power. Their substantial facility footprints, need for resilience, and ability to underwrite power purchase agreements make them potential anchor customers. Since World War II, such agencies have helped nuclear power and grid-size batteries reach commercial scale.
How could geothermal power in the Pacific help Taiwan?
Geothermal development at scale could strengthen the strategic resilience of allies such as Taiwan, which face coercion by China, especially over energy. Collins argues that reaching eventual multi-gigawatt scale, beginning with first-of-a-kind demonstration projects in Alaska, would enhance both U.S. and allied resilience across the Pacific Rim.
What is needed to scale geothermal energy in Alaska?
Scaling geothermal energy in Alaska first requires financing first-of-a-kind demonstration projects. If successful, those projects can de-risk the resource and catalyze broader regional scale-up. Collins notes that strategic energy technologies often start small but can scale quickly with judicious front-end policy support when they hold competitive thermodynamic and technological advantages.
Leave a Reply