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Sage Geosystems to explore geothermal closed-loop for U.S. Air Force base

Sage  Geosystems to explore geothermal closed-loop for U.S. Air Force base Space Shuttle Endeavour at a stopover in Houston, Texas, at Ellington International Airport (source: flickr/ The U.S. Army, creative commons)
Alexander Richter 1 Mar 2021

Sage Geosystems and UT Austin’s Bureau of Economic Geology receive funding for study aimed at developing geothermal energy at U.S. Air Force Base in Houston, Texas.

Texas based geothermal energy company Sage Geosystems and the Bureau of Economic Geology (Bureau) at the University of Texas at Austin Jackson School of Geoscience have been selected by the US Air Force to perform a feasibility study in cooperation with the Texas Air National Guard on the deployment of closed loop geothermal energy systems to supply clean and secure power to Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base in Houston Texas. The funding is a Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase 1 award from the Air Force AFWERX innovation program.

The systems being pioneered by Sage, a newly launched geothermal venture led by former oil and gas industry executives, are attractive to the military due to their small physical footprint, grid independence, security and non-reliance on supply chains, and sustainability. The Bureau will provide scientific support for the project, including detailed resource and geology assessments. Dr. Ken Wisian, Associate Director of the Bureau and former Air Force Major General will represent Bureau in the project. “This pilot has the potential to prove the economic viability of a new paradigm of geothermal power generation anywhere,” Dr. Wisian noted.

The Texas National Guard hopes the feasibility study will result in a geothermal power facility at a military installation in Texas in the near term. “The work being conducted by Sage Geosystems is of critical interest to our organization to ensure based energy resiliency,” remarked the National Guard program director. Sage, a graduate of UT Austin’s Geothermal Entrepreneurship Organization, recently closed its first funding round in an unprecedented deal between climate venture fund Virya, LLC and international drilling contractor H&P.

Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs are highly competitive programs that encourage domestic small businesses to engage in Federal Research/Research and Development (R/R&D) with the potential for commercialization. Sage and the Bureau expect to deliver their feasibility study to the Air Force in sixty days.

Source: Sage Geosystems