(Excerpts from my first article for Examiner)
Raser Technologies in Provo, UT is pioneering using low-temperature geothermal energy to create electricity. Their systems pump hot water, 165 degrees and up, from underground through heat exchangers to boil another fluid at even lower temperatures. That steam is used to run turbines to produce energy. A big advantage of geothermal power over other types of renewable energy is that it is completely steady. Unlike solar and wind, the hot water is always there and can be used to create energy 24/7.
Raser systems are closed, another big advantage. The fluids that come out of the ground go back in the ground, and there are no emissions. Their first plant, Thermo No. 1 has a 20 year agreement to sell power to Anaheim, California, enough to power 11,000 homes. Other such long term deals are also in the works.
Founded by early Novell investor Kraig Higginson, Raser originally produced motors for electric vehicles. He decided they could be used for geothermal too and they have created an innovative system using modular units to build new plants quickly. Plus, they currently own rights on 250,000 acres to create geothermal power, a vast untapped resource.