Drill, baby, drill. But Idaho should do it for geothermal power | Opinion

As a climate activist, my hope lies with Mother Nature herself. Beneath our feet is a nearly limitless energy source — heat from the Earth’s core. Instead of burning oil, gas and coal, we can tap this power. By the end of 2026, the path forward should be much clearer.

Next year, Utah’s Cape Station Geothermal Power Plant will flip the switch on its first 100 megawatts of clean electricity. Ultimately, it’s permitted for two full gigawatts of power — the same capacity as the Jim Bridger coal-and-gas plant in Utah. But here’s the difference: Jim Bridger, partly owned by Idaho Power, spewed out 11 million metric tons of pollution in 2022 — twice that of all the cars and trucks in Idaho.

It also gulped down 30 million gallons of water a day from the drought-stricken Green River, the main tributary of the Colorado. That means coal smoke in the sky, dry riverbeds on the ground and water restrictions for millions downstream. Cape Station, on the other hand, will generate power with virtually no CO₂ emissions and very little water use. That’s a revolution hiding in plain sight.

Others are seeing this promise firsthand. As one Citizens’ Climate Lobby volunteer put it after visiting the Fervo geothermal site in southwestern Utah:

“Our Fervo guide demonstrated the incredible potential and cost-effectiveness of this underutilized renewable resource. To see firsthand the development of a reliable energy source — and its future contribution to meeting America’s growing electricity demand — was to glimpse the promise of this underappreciated resource.”

Here’s how the technology works. Water is pumped deep underground, where it strikes rock heated to 430°F. Superheated steam then rises through separate wells to spin turbines. The drilling is no deeper than what’s already routine for oil and gas, using equipment already available worldwide.

The result? Always-on, “firm” clean power — unlike wind or solar, which depend on weather. At Cape Station, this steady geothermal supply will be paired with wind and solar above ground, creating a powerful mix of reliability and affordability. And because the water is recycled in a closed loop, the process is nearly self-sustaining.

Meanwhile, the news on our changing climate is brutal. Stronger hurricanes. Wildfire smoke is choking our summers. Crops lost to drought. Grocery bills climbing. Outdoor life is disrupted by relentless heat waves. And for every hard-won climate step forward, our government seems to take two climate steps back.

But here’s the hopeful twist: enhanced geothermal could be a win for everyone. Oil and gas companies already own the drilling rigs. The federal government controls much of the land overlying the hot rock. And Cape Station will soon prove the economics. Combined with wind and solar, the plant’s cost for firm power should be competitive with gas and coal.

The kicker? Earth holds enough geothermal energy to power humanity for the next 17 billion years. Considering the sun only has about 5 billion years left, we’re set.

So the next time you feel despair about fossil fuels choking our climate, remember: the solution is literally right under our feet. My rallying cry to Sens. Mike Crapo and Jim Risch and Reps. Russ Fulcher and Mike Simpson is: “Drill baby drill — for geothermal!”

Don Kemper, the long-retired founder of Healthwise, now volunteers with the Boise Chapter of Citizens Climate Lobby.