If you have ever strolled through the Carolyn and Kem Gardner Commons Building, you’ve probably seen the second-floor wall that prompts the discussion on sustainability and geothermal energy. The U is committed to using renewable energy campus-wide to lower its carbon footprint. In fact, the EPA lists the University of Utah among the top 25 colleges and universities in its Green Power Partnership. When it comes to geothermal energy, the U is number one.
Despite our large use of geothermal energy, many members of the campus community likely are not familiar with it. After all, unlike solar or wind, it’s not nearly as noticeable. That is why Utah FORGE has partnered with Geothermal Rising, a nonprofit industry educational association, to teach U all about it. Students, faculty, staff and visitors can now learn more about this clean, renewable and always available energy source on the first floor of the J. Willard Marriott Library. This semester, make sure to stop by between classes or make a special trip to learn about this abundant energy source. Geothermal energy is an important part of the U’s bright future for sustainability.
The Earth’s heat can be used for everything from heating and cooling buildings to generating electricity. The U is using Mother Earth to do both—Gardner Commons’ temperature control using geothermal energy saves the U up to $80,000 a year, and we buy out-of-state electricity from Cyrq Energy’s Soda Lake Geothermal Plant in Nevada.
We are also leading the way in research. The Utah FORGE project is working to make geothermally-generated electricity commercially viable almost anywhere in the world. The project is managed by the university’s Energy & Geoscience Institute, and it’s one of the largest grants the U has ever received.
Utah FORGE is a U.S. Department of Energy-funded research project advancing innovative technologies to unlock Earth’s limitless geothermal energy. You can find us online, in classrooms across Utah, or featured in scientific conferences around the world. To learn more about the project and take a virtual tour of the site, visit utahforge.com.