Zanskar says AI has discovered more geothermal sites than industry has in 30 years
‘Special Report’ expert Bret Baier reports on efforts to advance geothermal energy production and how artificial intelligence is helping companies harness their full potential.
Geothermal energy has been around since the creation of the earth and is present almost everywhere, however harnessing its full potential has been difficult as active sources are often difficult to find.
“The US has a lot, and most of it in the US is untapped. It’s a great resource waiting for us to tap into,” said Zanskar founder Joel Edwards.
Geothermal energy is generated by the earth’s formation and ongoing radioactive decay. It is stored underground and is accessed by drilling thousands of feet underground.
From hidden heat deep underground to intelligent drilling above it, AI is fueling the next wave of clean energy, turning geothermal into a major player in America’s energy future. (Zanskar)
“The good thing about low-temperature energy is that there is heat under the earth everywhere. The deeper you go into the earth, the hotter it is. But there are some parts, some regions, that are just hot rocks,” said Edwards.
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Geothermal energy makes its way to the earth through volcanoes, hot springs and geysers. It was hard to see above ground until now.
“We have discovered more in three years than this industry discovered in 30,” said Edwards.
Zanskar, a geothermal company, makes the search for hot springs more accurate. The company has built artificial intelligence models that can identify geothermal resources and guide them through deeper drilling.
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“We found a lot of places, and they were neglected or they were in places where no one had looked,” said Edwards. “Once we get these systems, we have a lot more success getting into them because those models are better at kind of simulating all the possible directions of a geothermal system.”
Historically, geothermal production has had the risks of mining inefficient wells. There are safety risks from geothermal production and environmental concerns about air and water pollution. Uncertainty has caused delays in permit challenges and operations.
“What happens is you drill moderately productive wells, marginal wells, or you drill non-productive wells. All of those failures, they roll into the total cost of the project, and that drives up the cost of the project,” Edwards said.
By using AI to identify geothermal hotspots, companies like Zanskar are unlocking potential that has been there all along. (Zanskar)
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The best geothermal resources in the US are located in the west, where most of the land is owned by the federal government. The Interior Department has used emergency permitting processes to expedite the review of geothermal projects as part of President Trump’s energy agenda.
“Normally it takes three to six, three to seven years to get this project approved. Fortunately, in the last few years, there has been an urgency to cut through the red tape,” Edwards said. “And that has already had a tangible benefit in some of these earlier projects.”
Artificial intelligence can also help simplify the regulatory process.
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“What we have to do is work with our federal, state and local partners to implement those solutions that you’re talking about. We can’t think of this technology as it happens to us. We have to collaborate and use it like everyone else,” said Exelon CEO Calvin Butler. “AI should help us all be more successful at what we do and better at it.”
The geothermal industry has the same challenges and risks as oil and gas. The Society of Petroleum Engineers began promoting the use of AI in 2009. It helped improve exploration, drilling and development. Research shows that some of the same techniques can help geothermal production.
“It looks like there’s been oil and gas for maybe 100 years or more,” Edwards said. “We didn’t know how much was out there and stuff. That’s what geothermal sounds like.
“Like, it feels like we haven’t tested it. We have a little bit of it yet. We like to understand it. But now the market is there, and the market is like, ‘We want this stuff.’
Geothermal energy is everywhere, but finding it hasn’t been easy. Now, artificial intelligence is changing the game, speeding up discoveries that took decades. (Zanskar)
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As artificial intelligence helps accelerate new services, there are still concerns about its immediate impact on the power grid.
“It’s a challenge, but it’s a great opportunity. And that’s what we’re really excited about, the opportunity to be part of this journey, this next wave of energy transformation, because we can’t just look at it as a challenge and say, ‘We don’t know what to do,'” said Butler.
“We’re working with our technology partners and saying, ‘What can we do to make this a win-win for everyone?’
