Cornell teams make finals of Energy Department competition

The U. S. Department of Energy has selected teams from Cornell University Sustainable Design and the university’s Cornell Energy Institute to compete in a geothermal energy contest.

The teams from Cornell are now finalists in the 2012 National Geothermal Student Competition, which will have students analyzing the economic feasibility of developing geothermal energy in the Snake River Plain in Idaho. That region is a potential area for near-term geothermal development in the United States, according to a 2006 Massachusetts Institute of Technology study.

“The National Geothermal Student Competition challenges the country’s best and brightest students to develop innovative approaches to expanding geothermal energy production in the United States, advancing our commitment to an all-out, all-of-the-above energy strategy,” Energy Secretary Steven Chu said in a news release.

The Cornell University Sustainable Design team will use geologic remote sensing to profile the Snake River Plain to uncover areas with thermal potential. The Cornell Energy Institute team will collect data in the region and will review geothermal resource studies, maps, and models to try to identify markets for geothermal heat or electricity.

Other finalists taking part in the competition include teams from Boise State University, the Colorado School of Mines, Idaho State University, the Southern Methodist University Geothermal Laboratory, the University of Idaho, and the University of Texas at Austin. The Department of Energy plans to give each team $10,000 in technical assistance.

The competition ends in October, when three teams will present their findings at the annual Geothermal Resources Council meeting in Reno, Nev.

Contact Seltzer at rseltzer@cnybj.com

The U. S. Department of Energy has selected teams from Cornell University Sustainable Design and the university’s Cornell Energy Institute to compete in a geothermal energy contest.

The teams from Cornell are now finalists in the 2012 National Geothermal Student Competition, which will have students analyzing the economic feasibility of developing geothermal energy in the Snake River Plain in Idaho. That region is a potential area for near-term geothermal development in the United States, according to a 2006 Massachusetts Institute of Technology study.

“The National Geothermal Student Competition challenges the country’s best and brightest students to develop innovative approaches to expanding geothermal energy production in the United States, advancing our commitment to an all-out, all-of-the-above energy strategy,” Energy Secretary Steven Chu said in a news release.

The Cornell University Sustainable Design team will use geologic remote sensing to profile the Snake River Plain to uncover areas with thermal potential. The Cornell Energy Institute team will collect data in the region and will review geothermal resource studies, maps, and models to try to identify markets for geothermal heat or electricity.

Other finalists taking part in the competition include teams from Boise State University, the Colorado School of Mines, Idaho State University, the Southern Methodist University Geothermal Laboratory, the University of Idaho, and the University of Texas at Austin. The Department of Energy plans to give each team $10,000 in technical assistance.

The competition ends in October, when three teams will present their findings at the annual Geothermal Resources Council meeting in Reno, Nev.

Contact Seltzer at rseltzer@cnybj.com