Texas drills for renewable energy
Eleven thousand acres are up for lease as part of an annual winter sale for oil and gas leases. But the land also houses something else: renewable, geothermal energy.
Geothermal energy uses the earth’s heat to make electricity. In Texas, geothermal power can be made by drilling into a warm geological tract of land, circulating water through a closed loop to heat the water and create steam, which then turns a turbine to make electricity.
Some companies have expressed interest in the prospect, and may harvest the energy by utilizing used up oil wells to reach the layers of earth. The minimum bid for the geothermal leases are set at $2 per acre – much less than what the state would get for oil or gas. All proceeds from the sales go into a state fund to help pay for public education. Jerry Patterson, Commissioner of the Texas General Land Office, sees it as a win-win situation for the state:
We’re finally making the Texas heat pay off…This geothermal energy lease, like our wind energy efforts, shows Texas is committed to renewable energy. And if I have my way, it will not only generate clean energy but make money for Texas schools.
