Geothermal power may deliver the most value when it is built into an industrial park rather than sold into the grid. That is the case made on the latest episode of the Energy Transition Solutions podcast, where host Joe Batir interviews Malcolm Ross, a key advisor to Source Geothermal and founder of Heat-in-Motion, alongside Gordon Baier, CEO of Gigawatt, Inc.
The episode, number 250 in the series, centres on integrated development: co-locating next-generation geothermal with the industries that can use its heat and power directly, instead of treating the power plant and its customers as separate projects. Gigawatt’s flagship site in Northern Arizona is the working example throughout.
Baier walks through why Gigawatt chose Arizona, what the project is meant to prove, and how site selection works for next-generation geothermal, where the resource does not have to be a conventional hot spring or volcanic field. The discussion covers Arizona’s geothermal potential and its regulatory environment, which the guests describe as more workable for new energy projects than many developers assume.
The longest segment is on system integration and industrial symbiosis. Ross and Baier describe a park where the output of one tenant becomes the input of another: geothermal electricity and heat feed the first operations, their waste heat or by-products supply the next, and the overall energy use of the park falls as a result. They then turn to power system design, including how energy storage fits alongside a baseload geothermal supply to serve several industrial customers with different load profiles.
The episode closes with a look ahead at the technologies and policy changes the guests expect to open up more sites for this model. Ross’s book recommendation is Annals of the Former World by John McPhee; Baier’s is The Butterfly Throne.
Energy Transition Solutions is hosted by Joe Batir and produced by the Oil & Gas Global Network (OGGN), with sponsorship from ABB. Episode 250 runs about 45 minutes.
Listen: Energy Transition Solutions on Apple Podcasts
Source: OGGN, Episode 250
