Geothermal in the Midwest: Research Update

 

Presented by:

 

 

With a growing energy demand, transition from fossil fuels is needed to decarbonize energy systems. State and federal policy makers in Illinois and the Midwest are committed to implementing operational and technological solutions pursuant to these goals. Experts propose geothermal (geoexchange) energy as a solution that is renewable, low carbon, relatively inexpensive, reliable, and safe. This technology lends to better energy efficiency and conservation, green economic growth, repurposed workforce skills from the oil and gas industry, and environmental protection. Over time, the efficiency of geothermal systems has been improved and enhanced, making them stronger competitors in the renewable energy marketplace. The Illinois Geothermal Coalition at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have recently published a white paper, which examines technological solutions for geothermal energy, with a focus on building heating and cooling for residential, commercial, and educational sectors. This webinar will provide an overview of findings, explore a variety of geothermal applications for the various economic sectors in Illinois, and propose advanced technologies suitable for the U.S. Midwest, such as thermal energy storage and hybrid energy systems. State and local leaders, public/private organizations and professionals can expect to learn how policy could incentivize the deployment of geothermal energy technologies that meet the proposed targets and support an accelerated transition to a decarbonized economy. 

 

University of Illinois Extension provides equal opportunities in programs and employment. If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in this program, please contact Stanley “Jay” Solomon at jssolomo@illinois.edu. 

 

About the presenters:

 

Yu-Feng Forrest Lin is the Director of Illinois Water Resources Center, a Principal Research Hydrogeologist at the Prairie Research Institute, a Clinical Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and a Research Professor in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He received Ph.D. in geological engineering from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 2002. Lin's current research interests include: (1) groundwater and geothermal resources, (2) groundwater and surface water interactions, and (3) fiber-optic distributed temperature sensing (FO-DTS). Dr. Lin has devoted his efforts to serving professional and public communities. He is presently the Executive Editor for Groundwater, published by the National Ground Water Association. He became the Geological Society of America Fellow in 2018. He has been a Commissioner at the Great Lakes Commission appointed by the Governor of Illinois since 2020. 

 

Ryan Dougherty is the President of the Geoexchange Organization, a non-profit trade association that supports the geothermal heat pump industry through Advocacy, Partnerships, Public Outreach, and Promotion of Quality Standards. He has extensive experience in public policy and governance and served as Deputy Director of the Illinois Healthcare and Human Services Framework and Senior Policy Advisor at the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. He has worked in a number of other positions within state government, including as a budget analyst in the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget and as a legislative liaison to the Governor of Illinois.

 

Andrew Stumpf is currently Principal Research Scientist for the Illinois State Geological Survey at the Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He is also co-founder of the Illinois Geothermal Coalition. He received his M.Sc. and Ph. D in Geology from the University of New Brunswick, Canada. Dr. Stumpf’s research includes geological characterization of underground energy and water resources and application of thermogeology in the design of geothermal energy systems. He serves on the editorial board of the Geoenergy journal and Research Committee of the International Ground Source Heat Pump Association. 

Josiane Jello is a Ph. D Candidate in the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Ms. Jello received a Bachelor of Engineering degree from the Lebanese American University in 2019. Her current research involves the feasibility of an Advanced Geothermal Energy Storage (AGES) system for heat storage in porous strata in the Illinois Basin. 

Frank Holcomb is a Senior Researcher in the Energy Branch at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center - Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (ERDC-CERL) in Champaign, IL. As part of the senior technical staff, Holcomb identifies and cultivates new areas of energy and sustainability research to support Army and DoD requirements. With over 30 years of experience in leading energy and sustainability technology projects and programs, Holcomb gained worldwide recognition as a technical expert on fuel cells and U.S. Army power and energy issues. As chief of the energy branch at ERDC-CERL, he led a world-class team of scientists and engineers conducting research and development to support facility design, installation energy operations, and contingency basing energy challenges.

 

Tugce Baser is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, specializing in Geotechnical Engineering. Her research interests include unsaturated soil mechanics, energy geotechnics, and sustainable geo-energy applications. Dr. Baser has been awarded honors by international institutions and invited as a keynote speaker. She received her Ph. D degree in Geotechnical Engineering from University of California San Diego in 2017 and was a Post-Doctoral researcher at the University of Alberta, Canada. Dr. Baser is a member of ASCE G-I, ISSMGE, and DFI where she is actively engaged with the student, professional, and diversity development.