A study carried out by Southern Methodist University and funded by Google found that West Virginia contains a surprising amount of geothermal energy, enough to more than double the amount of energy generated by the state.

West Virginia is a large producer of coal-based energy, with a lot of its economy based on that production, but with this new information, a clean energy boom may be in its future.  Researchers calculated that if just 2 percent of the available geothermal energy were harnessed, the state would be able to produce almost 19 GW of clean energy.  Currently, West Virginia generates about 16.4 GW of energy, with 97 percent of that coming from coal.

West Virginia is tectonically stable, so while this is big new for the state, the tectonically active zones in the west still have it beat as far as geothermal capacity.  Nevada, for example, has a capacity of over 146 GW at a 2 percent recovery rate.

The study found 78 percent more geothermal energy than was expected, adding 1,455 new spots to existing geothermal energy maps.  The hot spots are mainly located in the eastern part of the state.

This is very exciting news for a state known for producing dirty energy that is not only bad for the planet but for the people who work in the mines and those who live nearby.  I hope that a safer, cleaner alternative is on the way for West Virginia.

via Green Biz

A new IKEA store planned for Centennial, Colorado (just outside Denver) will be heated and cooled by geothermal energy.

IKEA got assistance from the fine scientists at NREL in designing and constructing a geothermal system located under the store's parking garage.  At 500 feet under the ground, 130 pipes will pump liquid that will help to heat or cool the store depending on the time of year (in the summer, ground temperatures will keep the liquid cooler than surface air and vice versa in the winter).

During times of extreme temperatures, the geothermal system won't be able to get the job done on its own, but during most of the year, the system should be able to maintain comfortable temperatures in the store.  IKEA is using this location, which opens next year, as a pilot test for the technology and if it's successful, the company plans to install similar systems in other North American stores.

We all know big box stores are total energy hogs, so it's exciting to see a company that runs those type of stores replacing some of the traditional energy sources they use with clean energy.

via Triple Pundit