Alaska sees competition for federal grant of US$1m
Aerial view of the University of Fairbanks, Alaska (source: flickr/ Mozul, creative commons)
Alexander Richter
30 Oct 2010
A federal grant of US$1 million for determination of geothermal heat flow below the city of Fairbanks, to be matched by the same amount by the winner, will be available in a competitive process in Fairbanks, Alaska.
In Alaskan news it is reported that a US$1 million federal grant to study geothermal energy in Fairbanks will be awarded through a competitive process but needs to be matched with another $1 million by whoever wins the grant.
The goal is to determine whether sustainable heat flow can be maintained. The project must include modeling of a deep geothermal reservoir system or “hot zone” and drilling of a test well, The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reported
Fairbanks North Star Borough Mayor Luke Hopkins said researchers at the University of Alaska Fairbanks have expressed interest in applying for the grant and companies across the state could apply.
The grant resulted from an earmark request by former Mayor Jim Whitaker, according to according to borough grants coordinator Chris Storhok.
The initial goal was to determine whether the power plant at the University of Alaska Fairbanks could be replaced with a geothermal energy plant, Storhok said.
A test well almost 10,000 feet deep was drilled on Eielson Air Force Base about 50 years ago and at the bottom was boiling water, he said.”
Source: Anchorage Daily News
