Rosen, Cortez Masto Applaud Department of Energy Grant for Nevada Geothermal Exploration Technology

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) applauded the U.S. Department of Energy for selecting the University of Nevada Reno’s geothermal exploration technology project as one of 10 national projects chosen for funding.  
 
“Thanks to these funds, the University of Nevada Reno will be able to apply machine learning techniques to geothermal exploration and production,” said the Senators. “This technological investment will help to develop renewable energy technology to create a cleaner future for Nevada and our entire country.”
 
BACKGROUND: The U.S. Department of Energy announced up to $5.5 million for 10 new projects to apply machine learning techniques to geothermal exploration and production. Machine learning – the use of advanced algorithms to identify patterns in and make inferences from data – could assist in finding and developing new geothermal resources. If applied successfully, machine learning could lead to higher success rates in exploratory drilling, greater efficiency in plant operations, and ultimately lower costs for geothermal energy.
 
The projects selected by the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s Geothermal Technologies Office focus in two areas: machine learning for geothermal exploration and advanced analytics for efficiency and automation in geothermal operations.

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