Idaho State University was recently declared the winner of the U.S. Department of Energy’s 2012-13 National Student Geothermal Competition, based upon the ISU study “Development of an integrated, testable conceptual model of blind geothermal resources in the eastern Snake River Plain: application to the Newdale geothermal prospect.”
The award was due to the collaboration of a team of students and a professor working towards geothermal energy development.
The team, made up of graduate students Rebecca Ohly, Michael Ginsbach and Adam Koster and undergraduate student Holly Young was led by geoscience professor Michael McCurry.
They helped to drill 1,000-foot deep wells, whose depths they plumbed to record temperatures, chemistry of materials found at different depths, and indicator minerals to try to identify geothermal energy sources. With this information, models could be made of the geothermal activity underground.
The team explored the surroundings of Soda Springs, Idaho, as well as the Snake River Plain, and compared the results from the two to see if the “geological properties were similar,” according to Ohly.
Ohly said, “We were happy. Our results were perfectly in line [with our hypotheses], so that was a nice surprise.”
“We were new to this game, so we were super happy we beat the competition and brought national attention to the geothermal program at ISU. It’s a great program,” said Ohly of the team’s reaction to their win.
Ohly said she is grateful for the people involved in the ISU group.
“I feel really fortunate to be able to work with the team I did. The students and faculty were all really talented.”
Ohly said she feels that the team’s research could have an effect on ISU and the state as a whole. Geothermal energy in Idaho could boost the state economy and infrastructure, and it is also a green and local source of energy.