Interactive Products to Assist with Geothermal Drilling
Geothermal energy is a clean and renewable source of heat derived from the Earth's natural thermal resources. Geothermal borefields are utilized to extract this thermal energy, providing heating for buildings in the winter and cooling in the summer. In New York, the adoption of geothermal energy at both residential and community scales is on the rise and is expected to see significant growth in the coming years. However, drilling remains one of the major costs and source of uncertainties associated with geothermal installations.
A thorough understanding of local hydrogeology, potential hazards (such as natural gas, karst formations, and brines), and detailed depth to bedrock is essential for all geothermal projects. Knowledge of the hydrogeologic setting is crucial for managing costs, ensuring the safety of drilling crews, and mitigating potential impacts on groundwater quality. Unfortunately, an organized geospatial compilation of this data, along with a web application to deliver it, is currently lacking for most of New York State. This challenge is further complicated by the state's geological diversity, because knowledge from one region often does not apply to another.
To address this gap, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSEREDA) will develop an interactive web-mapping application aimed at providing drillers, engineers, regulators, and policymakers with critical data and tools to enhance their understanding of subsurface conditions, including potential hazards, in three specific areas of upstate New York (see Fig. 1). These areas include:
- Southeastern Study Area: Selected due to the anticipated high number of geothermal installations in this region.
- Southern Tier Study Area: Chosen based on its population center and the unique hazards present, such as shallow methane and brines.
- Great Lakes Study Area: Identified for its population density and specific hazards, including karst hydrology and very shallow brines.
These study areas represent three major physiographic regions in upstate New York: the Hudson Highlands/Manhattan Prong, the Southern Allegheny Plateau, and the Ontario Lowlands. While the primary focus is on geothermal drilling, the resulting dataset and web application will offer extensive benefits beyond the geothermal sector and lay the groundwork for future initiatives across multiple regions of the state.
Geothermal energy is a clean and renewable source of heat derived from the Earth's natural thermal resources. Geothermal borefields are utilized to extract this thermal energy, providing heating for buildings in the winter and cooling in the summer. In New York, the adoption of geothermal energy at both residential and community scales is on the rise and is expected to see significant growth in the coming years. However, drilling remains one of the major costs and source of uncertainties associated with geothermal installations.
A thorough understanding of local hydrogeology, potential hazards (such as natural gas, karst formations, and brines), and detailed depth to bedrock is essential for all geothermal projects. Knowledge of the hydrogeologic setting is crucial for managing costs, ensuring the safety of drilling crews, and mitigating potential impacts on groundwater quality. Unfortunately, an organized geospatial compilation of this data, along with a web application to deliver it, is currently lacking for most of New York State. This challenge is further complicated by the state's geological diversity, because knowledge from one region often does not apply to another.
To address this gap, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSEREDA) will develop an interactive web-mapping application aimed at providing drillers, engineers, regulators, and policymakers with critical data and tools to enhance their understanding of subsurface conditions, including potential hazards, in three specific areas of upstate New York (see Fig. 1). These areas include:
- Southeastern Study Area: Selected due to the anticipated high number of geothermal installations in this region.
- Southern Tier Study Area: Chosen based on its population center and the unique hazards present, such as shallow methane and brines.
- Great Lakes Study Area: Identified for its population density and specific hazards, including karst hydrology and very shallow brines.
These study areas represent three major physiographic regions in upstate New York: the Hudson Highlands/Manhattan Prong, the Southern Allegheny Plateau, and the Ontario Lowlands. While the primary focus is on geothermal drilling, the resulting dataset and web application will offer extensive benefits beyond the geothermal sector and lay the groundwork for future initiatives across multiple regions of the state.