By Jeremy Parrish (U of U)
Since the project began in 2015, Utah FORGE has always enjoyed a collaborative relationship with the people of Beaver County, Utah. On October 10, 2024, our team held a public Town Hall in the city of Milford. The goal of this community event was to share the breakthroughs and future plans of Utah FORGE in a casual, relaxed setting. We invited the public, local officials, and key stakeholders via advertisements in The Beaver County Journal, flyers in public places, and personal communications.
Dr. Joseph Moore, Managing PI, explained the history of the project, highlighted our recent accomplishments, and announced that funding has been extended from the U.S. Department of Energy through 2028. This will enable Utah FORGE to continue research into Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS).
Then, Christopher Katis, Marketing Communications Specialist, talked about our engagement with the public. Activities have included participating in the Beaver County Fair and visiting elementary and secondary schools around Utah to teach young learners about geothermal energy. Additionally, we have worked with state and federal governments to apprise them of the project’s progress. We have hosted many officials including U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm, Governors Cox (UT) and Polis (CO), Senator Mitt Romney (UT), the Beaver County Commission, and Milford city officials. Finally, Christopher introduced the Virtual Visitor Center, which is a unique way to explore the Utah FORGE site and surrounding area.
Utah FORGE works diligently to educate and connect with the public; events like this Town Hall are important opportunities to answer a range of questions. A number of the questions from this event regarded water use at the project site and potential electricity production. One resident asked where we get the water we use for drilling. We use non-potable water from a well that we drilled on site. Another local asked if we recycle our water. The water is recycled by reinjecting the water we produce back into the ground, as required by law. A resident then asked us if we will use this technology to generate power. Our project is focused solely on research; the goal is to de-risk the tools and advance the technologies necessary for EGS. We will not be constructing a power plant.
In the future, Utah FORGE looks to improve on the current technology needed for EGS by drilling an additional well and continuing stimulation/circulation tests to examine the long-term heat viability of the EGS reservoir. And of course, we are looking forward to continuing our engagement with the community.
