Finding those small fractures — on the order of centimeters to feet — requires advanced technology, Yang said.

Lubinski said that’s one of the coolest things about the project.

“Things are going well, so that means the technology they used and the data they obtained is valid, and it’s cool to see that happening,” he said. “Out at Raft River, you’ve got hundreds of small fractures in the rock, if not thousands. You’ve got faults that offset different areas. And so it’s a lot more complex to try to analyze all that data and it takes a lot more (data).“

Walker Ranch will be bigger than the Raft River facility. Aguacaliente will drill more wells and make them more productive because of technological advances. In all, the company will drill up to 18 wells, but only half of them will be used for production.

“The other nine wells are what are called reinjection wells,” Yang said. “You pull the hot water out of the ground, you use the heat from the water to drive the turbine, which produces the electricity, and then you pump the water back into the ground. That’s why it’s a renewable source. So for every production well, you need an injection well.“