A significant energy source found beneath the US-Mexico border in the Rio Grande

(NewsNation) — Scientists have discovered a significant source of geothermal energy beneath the U.S.-Mexico border along the Rio Grande River, which could lead to promising clean energy development in the rural region.

These conclusions came after a month-long study by the Bureau of Economic Geology at the University of Texas at Austin, which found that the region of Presidio County, Texas, bordering Mexico, had the conditions necessary for the development of geothermal energy.

“There is a narrow region, 10 to 15 miles wide, that runs parallel or along the Rio Grande that has very high temperatures, at least by most standards, and even in the interior part of the county, which is probably two-thirds of the county,” Ken told NewsNation Wisian, head of the research team.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, geothermal energy is a clean, renewable energy source produced deep in the Earth’s core that can be used to generate heat and electricity.

The findings are significant because although the United States is the world’s largest producer of geothermal energy, it accounts for less than half a percent of the total grid, which is incredibly large, Wisian said.

The findings were welcomed by district officials, excited by the prospect of creating a geothermal power plant that would inevitably create new jobs and reduce energy costs for local communities.

Presidio is one of the poorest counties in the United States.

“Geothermal energy development would encompass virtually everything they outlined in their economic development plan,” Wisian said, adding that the energy could serve as a vital source for agriculture and industry.

It could generate much more electricity than it needs, which means the county could potentially sell the excess back to the grid or attract new businesses, he said.

“Geothermal energy has a lot to offer to rural communities, underserved communities, something like Presidio checks every block for very large federal investment in production in the form of renewable energy tax credits,” Wisian said.

The commune is already considering how to obtain funds for the implementation of this project.

“Let’s just get our act together and draft proposals, and then we go to the county and say, ‘Look, this is what we came up with,'” said Trey Gerfers, who heads the county’s groundwater district. by ThinkGeoEnergy.

While this may be optimal from an environmental perspective, Presidio County has political resonance because it is located on the border with Mexico and serves as an entry point for migrants seeking asylum.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has reported just over 3,000 migrant “encounters” in the Big Bend area, where the Presidio is located, this fiscal year, a 63% decline from the same period last year.

Wisian, however, says he doesn’t see geothermal energy extraction as posing any threat to border security because drilling requires little space and can take place on the Texas side of the border.

The plant could potentially inspire Mexico to start producing its own geothermal energy on its side of the border, which also has the same heat underground, he said.