JP Warren

California’s oil fields will help power its next energy renaissance. That was the vision I brought to the geothermal panel at USC Marshall’s Energy Business Summit, one of my must-attend events each year. The Zage Business of Energy Initiative brings together leaders in government, energy, infrastructure, and critical minerals to discuss practical solutions. I was stoked to join peers from Cyrq and GreenFire, representing established geothermal power generation and emerging technologies. There’s incredible innovation happening in this space. It was the perfect setting to share our progress developing Geologic Thermal Energy Storage (GeoTES) in Kern County’s oil fields. I opened with a show of hands: Who has enjoyed the scenic drive along California’s Petroleum Highway, Highway 33? That corridor connects many of the Golden State’s largest oil fields. It also offers a road map for a new opportunity: transforming existing oil fields into power plants with GeoTES, targeting 1,000 hours of thermal energy storage. Why are we excited? ☀️ Solar heat charges the reservoir, replenishing the stored energy rather than relying on a finite underground heat source. 💧 We use solar energy to heat brackish produced water from the reservoir, eliminating the need to source water elsewhere. 🔧 Shallow wells in soft sandstone can lower drilling costs, while shallower production reduces the energy needed to lift water. 🛢️ Oil produced as a byproduct will fund early development. California has the resources, expertise, and talent to build a more affordable, reliable energy future. Our energy renaissance will be driven by independent operators, new technologies, and today’s students bringing fresh ideas into the field. California’s future is bright. Let’s build it.