10:00 AM -11:30 AM Arrive in Salton Sea starting with a stop at the Salton Sea by CalEnergy Unit 1 to stretch and see the Salton Sea. Drive around the CalEnergy Region 1 to see facilities and Lithium project construction. This part of the field trip concludes with a drive to Red Hill Bay passing other CalEnergy facilities and the Sonny Bono Wildlife Refuge. Adventurous participants may choose to climb up Red Hill to appreciate the magnificent view of the area from the top of the rock.
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM Lunch and Q&A
Lunch sponsored by Cyrq Energy, EnergySource Minerals and Macquarie Infrastructure Partners
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM Tour of Hudson Ranch facility (pending approval)
2:30 PM -3:00 PM Walk around the mudpots by Hudson Ranch
3:00 PM Depart for San Diego
As time allows! Stop by the Desert Museum on the way back to San Diego for a quick tour of the geologic areas of the Imperial Valley.
This part of the trip will be cancelled if activities are behind schedule.
6:30 PM - 7:00PM Arrive back in San Diego
Bus transportation will be provided for all Imperial Valley Field Trip participants. Buses will begin loading 15 minutes prior to the scheduled departure time. All Field Trip participants are required to adhere to the 2021 GRC COVID-19 protocols and procedures – this includes wearing a mask, while on the bus, unless eating or drinking.
Scaling Up: What are the technical, financial, and geologic constraints on developing business opportunities for operators and service companies?
Technology Transfer: What technologies can be adopted from other industries to improve geothermal economics?
Newer Technologies: What are the technological opportunities and challenges for newer technologies (low temperature applications, microgrid applications, closed loop systems, EGS)?
Join your fellow GRC21 participants for a geological exploration of Torrey Pines. The guided tour will include interesting sedimentary geology, sedimentary rocks with Torrey Pine trees, fascinating Eocene submarine canyon strata with former overhanging canyon walls, and scenic beach views.
Comfortable walking shoes and attire is recommended!
Field Trip Itinerary
11:00 AM Bus Departs Town & Country Resort
11:30 AM Arrive at Torrey Pines
11:30 AM – 12:30 PM Lunch and Q&A
12:30 PM – 2:30 PM Torrey Pines Field Trip
2:45 PM Bus Departs Torrey Pines
Bus transportation will be provided for all Torrey Pines participants. Buses will begin loading 15 minutes prior to the scheduled departure time. All Field Trip participants are required to adhere to the 2021 GRC COVID-19 protocols and procedures – this includes wearing a mask, while on the bus, unless eating or drinking.
Take a stroll over to the beautiful Riverside Golf Course and join us for our fun sWING-by for Non-Golfers Event brought to you by the Geothermal Rising (GR) Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Task Force and Women in Geothermal (WING). The event is a relaxed and easy 5-10 minute walk from the Town and Country Resort where we are hosting GRC 2021.
The sWING-by for Non-Golfers Event is held in collaboration with the GRC Golf Tournament and aims to encourage participation and diversity in our charity golf day and bring golf to non golfers.
Free-to-attend fun and engaging event;
Networking and games on the clubhouse veranda;
Bar food and beverages available for purchase;
1-hour group golf lessons with course professionals, includes putting and driving – additional $30 registration (limited availability);
Meet and greet with GRC Tournament golfers and awards ceremony;
Raffles prizes in support of our students; and,
Dunk-a-Board-Member Dunk Tank – show your support for our students by dunking your favorite GR Board Member! CANCELLED - DUE TO THE WATER SHORTAGE IN CALIFORNIA
The DEI Task Force has been established to encourage and support diversity, equity and inclusion within the geothermal community and industries, both within our own membership and the wider community, and to further support the promotion and development of social and environmental justices in energy markets and our wider society.
Introduction to Geothermal Energy concepts and applications. This informative session is open to the public. Join us at 4:00 PM Pacific: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87958701847
Geothermal Energy will be the firm and reliable, clean and renewable, 24/7, all-year-round, energy source of choice in the fight against climate change. By combining electricity generation, direct heat use, and geothermal heat pumps, the ubiquitous energy source beneath our feet will be the critical linchpin that decarbonizes and electrifies our society. Innovation, scaling, and deployment of geothermal technologies will provide heating, cooling, and power for our homes, communities, and businesses anywhere and anytime, by holding together a power mix otherwise reliant on intermittent energy sources and storage. This Opening Presentation brings together high-profile speakers that address the future direction of Geothermal Energy and help direct the vision for using our Earth to save the Earth.
Dr. Will Pettitt (Executive Director, Geothermal Rising)
U.S. Secretary Jennifer Granholm (Department of Energy)
Ms. Moones Alamooti (University of North Dakota)
U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV)
Dr. Bjarni Pálsson (Chair, World Geothermal Congress)
All conference attendees are encouraged to join colleagues, friends and old acquaintances at the opening reception in the Exhibit Hall. The 2021 Geothermal Rising Conference is your opportunity to share information about your company's strategies and solutions that will move the geothermal industry into the future. As the industry continues to evolve and expand, the individuals you interact with at the conference may be your future partners in the geothermal industry.
Throughout this year's Geothermal Rising Conference - whether you attend in-person or virtually - wear your lapel pin or a fancy hat to show your support of WING! It's a great conversation starter and will help to spread the message of WING throughout the geothermal industry.
WING’s first health and wellness event of the conference: FREE yoga for all bodies! Teacher led class will take place at Look Out Point, a grassy area in the back of the Town and Country complex, facing River Front Park. Please bring your own yoga mat or blanket. Class led by Esther Gonik RYT, all skill levels are welcome! Join us on October 4th from 6:00 – 7:00 AM
The Geothermal Rising Conference is going to kick-off with an amazing cross section of the geothermal community during Monday October 4th’s Plenary Session! Representatives from the Department of Energy, California Energy Commission, the Bureau of Land Management, IRENA Geothermal Global Alliance, and GR's DEI Taskforce/Women in Geothermal. We will also hear from our amazing Diamond Sponsors of the GRC this year: Ormat, Eavor, and Kenai Drilling. All of the speakers are engaging and ready to kick-off GRC 2021 with an exciting and motivating tone.
Jon Trujillo, President, Geothermal Rising, and Geothermal Resource Manager, CalEnergy Operating Corp
Sue Hamm, Director, Geothermal Technologies Office, DOE
Janea Scott, Senior Counsel, BLM
John Redfern, President + CEO, Eavor Technologies
Karen Douglas, Commissioner, California Energy Commission
All conference attendees are encouraged to join colleagues, friends and old acquaintances at the opening reception in the Exhibit Hall. The 2021 Geothermal Rising Conference is your opportunity to share information about your company's strategies and solutions that will move the geothermal industry into the future. As the industry continues to evolve and expand, the individuals you interact with at the conference may be your future partners in the geothermal industry.
Global Impact and Innovation Session 1: Low-Temperature Geothermal Applications
Panel moderator: Patrick Dobson (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory)
This panel is focused on sharing ideas, identifying technical, permitting, economic and logistical issues associated with deployment of lower temperature geothermal resources for district heating and cooling, thermal energy storage, and other non-electrical generating applications.
Low Enthalpy systems
New floors temps (modular binary)
Non-conventional low-enthalpy systems
Old abandoned mines -- flooded -- extracting heat/water
Global Impact and Innovation Session Two: Mining & Hydrocarbons Tech Transfer Panel (Hybrid geothermal)
Panel moderator: Jonathan Hernandez (GeothermEx/Schlumberger)
This panel is focused on how technologies, knowledge, and methods developed in the mining and oil and gas industries can be leveraged to the geothermal community. This can involve innovative drilling techniques (which could facilitate EGS and closed-loop approaches), mineral extraction from brines, machine learning methods that could improve data integration and interpretation, and a variety of other topics.
Geothermal Rising’s Policy Committee is comprised of companies and individuals from a broad spectrum of the geothermal power industry. The Committee provides a forum for the industry to debate policy priorities and advocate for public policies that will promote the development and utilization of geothermal energy.
The 2021 GRC Policy Committee Panel will be run by active members from the Policy Committee. The purpose of this panel is to provide attending members with a snapshot of what the Committee has been working on for the past year and where they plan to direct their efforts in the future. Opening remarks will be given by one of the Subcommittee Chairs, and a lively panel of policy experts will thereafter ensue.
Moderator: Dr. Will Pettitt, Executive Director, Geothermal Rising
Topic: Panel discussion on the advantages and disadvantages of closed-loop geothermal systems
Purpose: This panel will dive into the details on some of the perceived advantages and disadvantages of closed-loop (CLGS) geothermal systems. There are various CLGS implementation styles, so not all systems have the same advantages/disadvantages – we will address those differences and how much they matter.
The 2021 Geothermal Rising Conference is your opportunity to share information about your company's strategies and solutions that will move the geothermal industry into the future. As the industry continues to evolve and expand, the individuals you interact with at the conference may be your future partners in the geothermal industry.
EthosEnergy will be showcasing our experience is in direct steam, flash plant turbines and topping turbines in geothermal combined cycle applications. We will present on the tools and experience to improve geothermal steam turbine performance and reliability and share our experience on retrofits, rerates and component repairs on turbines made by all of the OEMs.
With over 100 years of experience in drilling complex wells, H&P is uniquely positioned to support the energy revolution in unconventional geothermal. We at H&P believe that with our modular high-spec FlexRig® fleet and unmatched technology portfolio we can drive the same efficiency in unconventional geothermal as we successfully did in the shale revolution. Our strategy is to leverage our investments, experience, and technology prowess to be your primary strategic partner in the unconventional geothermal revolution.
Purpose: The advancement of geosciences is dependent on overcoming the challenges of diversity, equity, and inclusion. The DEI panel session will spark the dialogue needed to achieve this goal. Join us as we foster awareness of diverse perspectives and backgrounds in the geothermal community!
With over 20 years of experience drilling geothermal wells, Kenai Drilling has become the leading geothermal drilling contractor in the United States. During the past 20 years, Kenai has drilled over 200 geothermal wells, encompassing 1.2 million man hours, for a diverse range of customers throughout the Western United States. We have been able to maintain our dominant position in the geothermal drilling market through our dedication to safety and innovation. Through our long-term business relationships in the industry, we will continue to contribute to successful geothermal projects by delivering cutting edge, safe and efficient drilling services. Members of Kenai’s executive team are in attendance and are looking forward to connecting with existing and new customers to discuss how we can help
What is Women in Geothermal, and what has WING been up to this last year? Come to our Tuesday Luncheon and find out! On October 5th from 1230-130 join us for the presentation of the WING Annual Core Value Awards and a recap of recent achievements.
Topic: Exploring lithium recovery from geothermal brine
Purpose: Join us while we explore the opportunities to recover lithium from geothermal brine. In this panel session we will be discussing the challenges and opportunities faced in projects that are being taken across the globe to source lithium. Panelists will review and discuss efforts being undertaken to improve and provide community outreach, incentives and investment, and collaboration.
Calpine Corporation have been leveraging Emerson’s SKUA-GOCAD solutions for 3D model building and visualization since 2011 to aid with 3D induced seismicity analysis and mitigation efforts for The Geysers Geothermal Field.
Calpine initially utilized well-developed workflows for the animation of spatiotemporal relationships between water injection rates and resulting induced seismicity throughout The Geysers. It soon became clear that Emerson’s SKUA-GOCAD workflows would allow the flexibility to constrain Geysers’ 3D structural model with a broad range of existing data, including more than 900 lithology logs, steam entries, temperature logs, pressure logs, tracer patterns, heat flow patterns, non-condensable gas patterns, surface geologic maps and induced seismicity hypocenter patterns.
Utilizing this data, Calpine committed the necessary resources towards building a fieldwide 3D structural model, and the detailed analysis capabilities within the software have improved Calpine’s understanding of The Geysers, including its complex 3D subsurface structure, fluid flow paths and boundaries, reservoir heterogeneity and compartmentalization.
In addition, the software’s advanced visualization allows the continuously evolving 3D model to be used as a communication tool across disciplines. Calpine’s subsurface specialists are using it for planning water injection and steam production wells, real-time drilling monitoring (with daily updates to directional surveys and lithology information), and frequent public outreach regarding induced seismicity and risk mitigation.
The economic model for geothermal power plants is based on the feasibility of maximum, sustainable exploitation of a geothermal resource across the lifetime of an asset and operating geothermal powerplants still have their unique challenges with some obvious technical barriers that exist preventing massive adoption. When operating a geothermal field, we find that there are often infrequent and limited visibility of the production and recharge performance of the resource and wellbore diagnostics due to inability or high cost associated to measure in hot downhole environments. Sparse feedback from the field makes sustainable heat exploitation difficult to control, and fast decline rates, lowering enthalpy, well deferments and early field expansion difficult to avoid. With introduction of OptaSense’s pioneering distributed fiber optic technology, we look to supply low-cost, sustainable monitoring solutions for geothermal wells and assets for both classic conventional reservoirs and enhanced geothermal systems (EGS). We imagine smart wells and an intelligent reservoir management system that fully connects field operations to the subsurface. Together we will go through current and future applications for sustainable monitoring and actionable insight offered by fiber optic solutions for completions monitoring, well integrity, reservoir characterization, and injection and production profiling of geothermal wells. We see this technology offering numerous benefits for lowering operational costs and maximizing heat production profits by envisioning the ability for proactive operational control, early issue identification, precise new well placement, and refined reservoir models.
Drilling professionals including rig and service company representatives, an Oil & Gas engineer and drilling efficiency expert, and developers of traditional and EGS projects gather on one stage to discuss the realities of testing and implementation of technology advancements that are improving drilling and completion rates in traditional hydrothermal development and opening the potential for new kinds of heat-harnessing technology. Moderated by Bill Rickard, Geothermal Resource Group
Purpose for the panel:
Discussion of and obstacles to the dissemination of recent advancements in drilling technology and the transfer of O&G drilling technology to Geothermal drilling.
Cost of Drilling has been established as a significant barrier to development of both traditional geothermal plays as well as development of engineered geothermal systems and alternate or advanced geothermal systems
Several new EGS/AGS companies are beginning their drilling campaigns (either with federal assistance or privately), who are engaging Drilling Expertise in the form of consulting, equipment and materials that come from and O&G drilling experience alongside long time Geothermal Drilling experts
Differences between traditional geothermal drilling and traditional O&G drilling are well established, historical ‘technology transfer’ from O&G drilling to traditional geothermal drilling has required evolution of the technology for use in the geothermal drilling conditions and the immediate results of use of such technologies have not been instant successes, some of these are documented in geothermal technical literature, some not
Fun Run along the San Diego River Trail - led by Mary Mann of GRG. Meet up is at 6 AM on Wednesday October 6th, at the Flamingo Lawn of the Town and Country. The last day of the conference, we made it! Jog a victory lap with WING in our final health and wellness event of the conference. FREE and welcome to runners of any speed!
Purpose: Geothermal heat pumps are increasingly being used as part of district thermal energy networks. This panel will discuss Geothermal Energy Networks, and ways that geothermal exchange is providing clean heating and cooling for communities worldwide.
In this presentation, panelists showed that geothermal energy networks are being installed as a standard rather than a "new" practice. Still, there are many improvements to be made.
Alexis McKittrick shared some of the amazing opportunities coming up with the US Department of Energy In the low temperature geothermal space.
Donovan Gordon reviewed the programs that are focusing specifically on community heat pump systems, and what the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) is doing to remove hurdles toward state-wide update.
Zeyneb Magavi shared progress of local gas companies as they work together with HEET toward implementation of geothermal community systems.
Mohammad Gad shared with us some local efforts in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and spelled out their program for moving forward.
Jose Iguaz spoke clearly of Baker Hughes investment into the low temperature geothermal space worldwide.
Jay Egg provided an overview of community projects worldwide, along with some case studies.
Attendees can enjoy the recorded session on the virtual platform and reach out for further information on Geothermal Energy Networks.
The 2021 Geothermal Rising Conference is your opportunity to share information about your company's strategies and solutions that will move the geothermal industry into the future. As the industry continues to evolve and expand, the individuals you interact with at the conference may be your future partners in the geothermal industry.
Topic: How can geothermal direct use contribute to national decarbonization goals? Are past barriers to direct use changing?
Purpose: This panel will focus on how the direct use of earth’s heat can help achieve decarbonization goals. Using earth’s heat directly (with or without heat pumps) for heating and cooling reduces greenhouse gas emissions from homes, businesses, industry, and agriculture. While most decarbonization goals have been focused on the electricity sector, heating and cooling is responsible for direct CO2 emissions (e.g., from natural gas heating) and increased electricity demand (e.g., from traditional heat pumps) that may stress the grid. This panel brings together geothermal direct use project operators, experts, and other stakeholders to discuss how implementation of geothermal heating and cooling technologies can be a key component of the successful transition to a decarbonized energy future. The panel will consider past and present barriers to geothermal direct use, discuss whether those are changing, and identify paths forward for removing those barriers.
