Geothermal energy is a big component of the energy produced in northern California. In the first chapter of my novel, three of the characters talk about how the underground water at The Geysers is replenished to extend the life of the operating geothermal plants.
Harry fielded Marc’s query without batting an eye, “Reclaimed water is waste water, treated by a sewage treatment plant, much of which is piped directly to our steam field.”
“Really?” Marc had recovered from the jolt of a protruding rock that shook the jeep, “The same kind of water Dr. Beacon was studying?”
“Yes. The city of Santa Rosa pipes us eleven million gallons a day and Lake County sends us eight million gallons a day.”
“Wow. I didn’t know that.”
“We inject the water into the ground, which eventually resurfaces as steam to drive turbines and produce electricity.”
Joshua was coming to a clearing. The vehicle reached more level terrain as Harry wrapped up his explanation. “The reclaimed water piped to us produces almost one hundred and forty million watts of power, enough to power an additional one hundred thousand homes in Lake and Sonoma counties.”
Geothermal production at The Geysers peaked at almost 1,600 megawatts back in the 1990s and then steadily declined. More heat was extracted than the ability of natural water to replenish the underground reservoir. The idea of “recharge” saved the day, where the injection of new sources of water into the Geysers reservoir enabled the operation to continue. For the millions of gallons of water injected each day, some 100 megawatts of power is produced. Furthermore, about 25 percent of the injected water injected can be recovered after it’s used in the heat extraction process that generates electrical power.
Harry fielded Marc’s query without batting an eye, “Reclaimed water is waste water, treated by a sewage treatment plant, much of which is piped directly to our steam field.”
“Really?” Marc had recovered from the jolt of a protruding rock that shook the jeep, “The same kind of water Dr. Beacon was studying?”
“Yes. The city of Santa Rosa pipes us eleven million gallons a day and Lake County sends us eight million gallons a day.”
“Wow. I didn’t know that.”
“We inject the water into the ground, which eventually resurfaces as steam to drive turbines and produce electricity.”
Joshua was coming to a clearing. The vehicle reached more level terrain as Harry wrapped up his explanation. “The reclaimed water piped to us produces almost one hundred and forty million watts of power, enough to power an additional one hundred thousand homes in Lake and Sonoma counties.”
Geothermal production at The Geysers peaked at almost 1,600 megawatts back in the 1990s and then steadily declined. More heat was extracted than the ability of natural water to replenish the underground reservoir. The idea of “recharge” saved the day, where the injection of new sources of water into the Geysers reservoir enabled the operation to continue. For the millions of gallons of water injected each day, some 100 megawatts of power is produced. Furthermore, about 25 percent of the injected water injected can be recovered after it’s used in the heat extraction process that generates electrical power.
Reservoir water is the precious resource that produces steam to drive the above-ground turbines. This underground water is replenished from three main sources:
These sources sustain production levels at 750 MW. If not for the treated wastewater to replenish The Geysers’ geothermal reservoir, this source of electric power would literally have dried up.
- Rainwater, but years of drought have not helped the situation as much
- Sonoma County treated wastewater (about 14 to 16 million gallons per day is pumped into the porous reservoir); a project known as the Santa Rosa Geysers Recharge Project (SRGRP)
- Lake County treated wastewater (some 8 million gallons per day); a project known as the Southeast Geysers Effluent Pipeline (SEGEP)
These sources sustain production levels at 750 MW. If not for the treated wastewater to replenish The Geysers’ geothermal reservoir, this source of electric power would literally have dried up.