With a growing energy demand, the transition from fossil fuels is needed to decarbonize energy systems. State and federal policymakers in Illinois and the Midwest are committed to implementing operational and technological solutions under these goals. Experts propose geothermal (geo-exchange) energy as a solution that is a renewable, low carbon, relatively inexpensive, reliable, and safe. This technology provides better energy efficiency and conservation, green economic growth, repurposed workforce skills from the oil and gas industry, and environmental protection.

The Illinois Geothermal Coalition at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has recently published a white paper examining technological solutions for geothermal energy, focusing 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. 

Presented by:

• Dr. Yu-Feng Forrest Lin, Director of Illinois Water Resources Center; Principal Research Hydrogeologist, Prairie Research Institute; Clinical Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering; Research Professor, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
• Mr. Ryan Dougherty, President of Geothermal Exchange Organization, Springfield, IL.
• Dr. Andrew Stumpf, Principal Research Scientist, Illinois State Geological Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
• Ms. Josiane Jello, Ph.D. candidate, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
• Mr. Frank Holcomb, Senior Researcher, U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center - Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (ERDC-CERL), Champaign, IL.
• Dr. Tugce Baser, Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.