Energy and Economic Growth with Geothermal Energy for a Tropical Island

Let's look at how a new supply of inexpensive, readily available, dispatchable geothermal energy can become a powerful driver of economic growth on a volcanic island. At the center of the image is the volcano and geothermal plant, which symbolize the island’s ability to turn a local natural resource into a long-term source of development. Instead of relying heavily on imported fuel, the island is shown harnessing steam and hot water from below the earth to generate electricity and useful heat. The graphic emphasizes that this is not just about producing power, but about creating a foundation for productivity, resilience, and broader economic transformation. In macroeconomic terms, the image shows how expanding access to reliable energy can increase productive capacity and help shift an economy toward more sustained growth.

https://youtu.be/b534ttNnyC4

The execution of the graphic makes this idea concrete by showing multiple pathways through which geothermal energy supports the economy. Electricity from the plant is directed to the local grid, where it powers homes, schools, clinics, restaurants, and community buildings, improving everyday life and lowering energy costs. It also supports data centers and digital infrastructure, signaling that reliable energy can enable participation in more advanced sectors of the economy. This is especially important because dispatchable power is available when needed, unlike intermittent sources that depend on weather or time of day. The visual message is that dependable electricity creates the conditions for investment, innovation, education, and local enterprise to flourish.

The graphic also goes beyond electricity to show how geothermal resources can be used directly in practical and productive ways. Hot water can be used in homes, kitchens, showers, schools, and restaurants, reducing the cost of living and improving quality of life. Steam and heat can be used for food processing, drying plants, greenhouse agriculture, preservation, and light manufacturing, while heat exchange systems can provide efficient cooling for buildings and facilities.

These uses are important because they strengthen sectors other than tourism and highlight import substitution, local industry, and agricultural processing. Rather than presenting the island as dependent on visitors, the graphic presents it as an economy building internal strength through energy-intensive local production and the smarter use of local resources.

Finally, the graphic captures the human and cultural dimension of economic growth by showing local people as workers, students, farmers, cooks, technicians, and business participants. The message is that the benefits of geothermal development are meant to flow to the local population through jobs, skills, infrastructure, and shared prosperity.

The island’s culture is present not as a tourist attraction, but as the living community that gains from lower energy costs, more reliable services, and new economic opportunities. Overall, the graphic conveys that when an island can develop a dependable, low-cost energy base, it can reduce dependence on imports, raise productivity, support industry and agriculture, and create a more resilient and self-directed path to economic growth.

Free Video-Based Mini-Course for Engineering/Technology/Energy Curriculum, Ready with Materials, Learning Objectives, Assessments

Mini-Course Overview:  Fast-Tracking Electricity Generation: Hydrogen, Natural Gas & More 

Ademola Fagade, CEO of Geoprime Energy, discusses the urgent global energy crisis, characterized by aging infrastructure, operational inefficiencies, and slow clean energy adoption in both developed and underdeveloped nations. Drawing on his background and extensive experience with companies like DTE, Fagade presents Geoprime's multi-fuel and modular approach to deliver advanced, reliable clean energy. A core innovation is their Synafox software, a "living digital twin" that uses a proprietary large language model (Synagogen) and AI-enhanced control boxes to aggregate data, predict failures, and optimize operations across the energy asset lifecycle, addressing communication silos and safety concerns. Geoprime is "very bullish on" ammonia as a safer and scalable hydrogen carrier, and their technology can convert carbon-based waste into hydrogen and valuable byproducts like carbon black and graphene. The company is actively pursuing projects for data centers, biotech facilities, and underserved communities, emphasizing collaboration with major utility companies to collectively "leapfrog" existing energy paradigms.

(This mini-course is perfect for courses in engineering, entrepreneurship, technology, technology strategy, and economic development)

Link to video: https://youtu.be/_fitd4_ss7A

Course Objective Evaluate Geoprime Energy's comprehensive strategy for addressing the global energy crisis, critically assessing how their integrated approach—combining innovative technologies like Synafox software and ammonia as a hydrogen carrier with scalable, modular energy systems and collaborative partnerships—aims to overcome challenges in both aging infrastructure and underserved energy markets.

Learning Objectives Incorporating Bloom's Taxonomy Verbs

1. Recall Ademola Fagade's early influences and educational background that shaped his career in the energy sector [Remembering].

2. Describe the key challenges contributing to the looming energy crisis as identified by Ademola Fagade, including issues in both developed and underdeveloped countries [Understanding].

3. Explain how Geoprime Energy's Synafox software addresses operational inefficiencies and safety concerns in energy asset management through its digital twin and AI capabilities [Understanding].

4. Differentiate between various types of hydrogen production (green, blue, turquoise, gold) and their respective challenges and cost implications [Analyzing].

5. Summarize the innovative role of ammonia as a hydrogen carrier within Geoprime Energy's solutions, highlighting its advantages over direct hydrogen storage [Understanding].

6. Apply the concept of modular and multi-fuel energy systems to diverse energy demands, such as manufacturing plants versus data centers, using examples from Geoprime's product line [Applying].

7. Evaluate the strategic importance of Geoprime Energy's collaborative approach and diverse partnerships in tackling the global energy crisis [Evaluating].

8. Propose how Geoprime Energy's technology could be adapted to address specific energy challenges in different geographical or economic contexts, such as areas with stranded gas assets [Creating].

20 Multiple Choice Questions (Lower-Level Bloom's Taxonomy)

For answer key, please contact E-Learning Corgi

1. What was Ademola Fagade's family primarily involved in before he pursued electrical engineering? a) Textile trade b) Civil engineering and construction c) Agriculture d) Banking

2. Ademola Fagade's grandmother was a pioneer in which industry in Lagos? a) Banking b) Civil engineering c) Textile trade d) Electrical engineering

3. What was Ademola's initial career interest as a child, leading to him building mini boats? a) Civil engineering b) Pre-med c) Electrical works/engineering d) Textile manufacturing

4. Which US energy company did Ademola Fagade first join, where he "department hopped" to learn various aspects of the industry? a) Consumers Energy b) Pratt Whitney c) DTE d) PG&E

5. Ademola's first contract for Geoprime Energy involved the decommissioning of what type of power plant? a) Natural gas power plant b) Nuclear power plant c) Hydroelectric power plant d) Coal power plant

6. According to Ademola, replacing coal-fired plants with natural gas-fired plants is considered what kind of option? a) Worse b) Neutral c) Significantly better d) More expensive

7. What organization in Michigan, tagged as an "opportunity zone," advised Ademola to conduct customer discovery for his company? a) University of Michigan b) Wayne State c) Techtown d) New Lab

8. How many energy executives did Ademola interview and consult across the US as part of his customer discovery? a) 50 b) 75 c) 100 d) 135

9. What is the primary purpose of Geoprime Energy's Synafox software? a) To manage human resources in energy companies b) To create an umbrella operating system for energy asset lifecycle management c) To design new power plants d) To forecast energy prices

10. Ademola compares the current energy industry's process for commissioning/decommissioning plants to a "wheel" where different contractors work in what manner? a) Collaboratively b) Siloed c) Synchronized d) Integrated

11. Which country is cited as an example of "leapfrogging" in development compared to Nigeria, despite receiving aid from Nigeria in the past? a) Japan b) South Korea c) United States d) Germany

12. What percentage of global energy investment is concentrated on clean energy, as mentioned by Ademola? a) Less than 2% b) 15% c) 50% d) 80%

13. What is a key limitation of solar energy for powering an entire city, as discussed in the recording? a) It's too expensive b) It only works during the day and requires battery storage c) It takes up too much land d) It's not clean energy

14. What substance is Geoprime Energy "very bullish on" as a hydrogen carrier? a) Methane b) Carbon black c) Ammonia d) Oxygen

15. Green hydrogen is produced through which process? a) Steam methane reforming b) Plasma torch separation c) Electrolysis d) Microbe conversion

16. What is the approximate cost per gallon for gold hydrogen, which uses microbes in depleted oil wells? a) $4.60 b) $0.13 c) $0.50 d) $1.00

17. What valuable byproduct, used for high-tech applications, can be obtained when turning carbon-based materials into hydrogen using Geoprime's anaerobic system? a) Aluminum b) Silicon c) Carbon black/Graphene d) Ash

18. What is the power range for Geoprime Energy's HG01 (Hybrid Grid) electrification system? a) 0.5 to 1 MW b) 1.2 to 10 MW c) 10 to 50 MW d) 100 MW and above

19. What is a "data grid" in Geoprime Energy's product line primarily designed for? a) Small residential homes b) Manufacturing plants c) Data centers d) Rural electric co-ops

20. What is a core component of Synafox that learns operations and aggregates data from various sources to find optimal paths for efficiency? a) PI tags b) Manual oversight c) Large language model (Synagogen) d) Network switches

5 Short-Answer Questions (Higher-Level Bloom's Taxonomy)

1. Analyze the multi-faceted nature of the "energy crisis" as described by Ademola Fagade, distinguishing between challenges faced by underdeveloped countries and those faced by developed nations like the US.

2. Evaluate the advantages of Geoprime Energy's strategy of using ammonia as a hydrogen carrier compared to directly handling pure hydrogen, considering safety, storage, and economic factors mentioned in the recording.

3. Propose a scenario where Geoprime Energy's modular HG01 or SG01 systems could be most effectively deployed in a specific community or industrial setting, justifying your choice with details from the transcript regarding the system's capabilities and benefits.

4. Justify why Ademola Fagade views the collaboration with large utility companies as essential, rather than acting solely as a competitor, in addressing the energy crisis, referencing specific points he made about his relationship with DTE.

5. Create an argument for how Synafox's "living digital twin" and AI-enhanced control box could have prevented the primary service transformer accident at DTE described by Ademola, focusing on how its features address the root causes of that incident.

Course developed by Susan Smith Nash, Ph.D. 

For additional materials (video summaries, additional reading, answer keys, and more, please contact E-Learning Corgi)

Energy Industry 4.0: Extreme Transformation Opens Extreme Opportunities

Industry 4.0 has arrived in the energy industry. Just how does the extreme digitalization, monitoring, and assessment of seemingly everything  affect the people who now tend to all aspects of the business?  What will project managers, financial professionals, data scientists, geologists, engineers, geophysicists, and other energy professionals do? What are some of the knowledge bases they will need? What are the skill sets, and where should they gain experience? 

The energy industry will strategically update content and objectives to reflect current business practices, environments, tools, and needs. It will need to conduct continuous needs assessments for Energy Industry 4.0.

Part of this group of skills will involve re-envisioning everything, which requires having the courage to do so.  We need to look at the evolution of incumbent products, as well as the emerging “upstart” disrupters.  It is important to re-envision the macro view as well as the micro views.

Make the invisible visible: reveal the underlying reality:  One of the key benefits of artificial intelligence and machine learning is pattern recognition, which is not a static thing, but constantly evolving and “learning” as more information is added.

It is important to keep in mind that in addition to technological advances, there will be displacements and unintended consequences. Part of the challenge involves social responsibility in order to consider how human capital should be developed to retrain people whose professions become disrupted. Social responsibility also takes into consideration the natural environment, habitats, and lowering the negative impact of human activity.

Managing the Digital Economy:  How is managing the digital economy different than an organization where everyone is onsite? The workforce is distributed, now more than ever, and learning how to use productivity tools in a collaborative environment. Keeping the projects on task are more critical than ever.

•     Large, decentralized organizations
•     Collaboration and independent work in the Gig economy
•     Project Management strategies and platforms
•     Looking at all applications in “off-label” ways

Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning: AI and ML apply to all phases of the industry, and the challenge is not “if” or “when” but how much is relevant, and how do we clean up data without introducing our own biases? In addition, privacy and cybersecurity issues must be kept in mind.     

• Strategic Planning
• Risk Mitigation / Risk Seeking
•     Predictive analytics
•     Deep Neural Networks / Pattern recognition

Big Data Archiving and Continuous Data Gathering: The ability to store and retrieve staggering amounts of data creates opportunities that were simply not possible before. As unstructured data such as old scans of reports is converted into easily analyzable structured data, even more opportunities emerge. It is now possible, for example, to do a deep dive into old well logs, well reports, and more and look for overlooked zones or under-produced ones.

•     Internet of Things, Industrial Internet of Things
•     Cloud Computing

Virtual Supply Chains in Energy: Logistics have become very important in times of multiple long laterals in large  shale plays. The same can be said for the coordination required in offshore exploration and production operations. Challenges include security, being able to transfer money efficiently, and

• Block Chain technologies for supply chain
• Special challenges with different types of energy (oil and gas, wind, solar, geothermal)

FinTech:  Finance technologies are just emerging, and they will dramatically change how organizations can manage cash, obtain capital, and distribute information. Although cryptocurrencies and digital currencies may be looked upon as a bit unsavory, banks are already utilizing the technology to make their record-keeping more secure, and to facilitate transfers, especially across borders.

• Digital Currency
• RoboAdvisors
• New sources of capital, investment
• Start-ups and commercialization

Digital Ecosystems: You may be familiar with the way that Craigslist has essentially fragmented and instead of being a “one-stop shopping” platform for advertising, the different topics and products have evolved into their own niche applications. One good example is AirBnB – now, the products are arranged by category (rentals) rather than being geographically grouped (as in the case of Craigslist). The evolutionary cycles are accelerating, and now one has to look at platforms as apps with a clearly finite life cycles, unless they metamorphose into something else.

•     Platform Life Cycles
•     Crowd Sourcing / Social networks

Digital Infrastructure: Each quantum leap of bandwidth and computational ability is accompanied by a quantum leap in the capabilities of the applications and the devices themselves. How does one take advantage of the power? And, how does one anticipate changes?

•     Current state and how to optimize networks
•     WiFi and G5: What does it mean? What are the hidden costs?
•     Future directions, and where we are going.

Social Enterprise
    Innovative new technologies that have as a goal to measurably improve the physical environment as well as the social structure, with more opportunities for voices to be heard, and to strive toward the goal of eliminating social and economic inequality, and truly giving everyone a chance to have a productive, meaningful life with a strong social support system.

Preparing Professionals for the Future of Energy: Interview with Richard Chuchla, Director of the Earth & Energy Resources Program, UTexas

If you've driven by a wind farm, or have looked with awe at the gorgeous new skylights that double as solar panels, you've probably wondered what the future of energy will be.  What will happen to petroleum? How can we be cleaner and how can we more efficiently use the resources we have?

Welcome to an interview on LifeEdge with Richard Chuchla, Director of Energy and Earth Resources Graduate Program at the University of Texas in Austin. Richard, a retired executive of a major energy company, has used his very unique background to contribute to a program that is truly unique in the world.

Richard talks about the state of energy needs in the world today and in the future and how this has changed since he graduated.  As a result, graduate education must change to prepare students for a more diverse and complex energy world.  Rather than geoscientists or petroleum engineers alone, we must prepare people to be energy practitioners, with multidisciplinary training so that they can enable sustainable interdisciplinary solutions.

As you watch, don't miss the great photography, the informative presentations, and the interesting chat about volcanology and the Yellowstone super-caldera.

Direct link to the show: https://youtu.be/3TFochmetOY

Interview with Darlene Beaubien, Energy Economist: Micro-Learning Module

Many people wonder why the price of oil fluctuates so dramatically, and what factors affect both supply and demand for petroleum. Welcome to an interview Darlene Beaubien, an economist who has specialized in energy economics. In addition to the written interview, Darlene was featured on LifeEdge.

1.  What is your name and your connection to economics and the oil industry?
My name is Darlene Beaubien.  I have worked as a corporate planner and economist for  major oil and gas companies for more than 20 years.  Also, I’m former president of the Houston Chapter of the International Association for Energy Economics.
Following are some short and simple explanations of common issues in the current environment.

2.  Why does the oil industry seem to have boom and bust cycles?
Boom and bust cycles are caused by imbalances between worldwide oil supply and demand.  
During periods of high oil prices producers make investments in the oil and gas industry that create jobs, increase the number of operating oil rigs and encourage investments in new technologies.  These oil investments lead to discoveries that produce oil for several decades. 

However, consumers respond to high oil prices by reducing their demand for oil products such as gasoline, heating oil and jet fuel. The result is lower consumption and the potential for an oil surplus. Periods of significant surplus and shortage of oil result in dramatic changes in prices and create boom and bust cycles in the oil industry.

It should be noted that movements in supply and demand are influenced by factors including international economic performance, government actions, technology, and geopolitical factors.

 Link to a conversation on oil price fluctuations and global economics with Darlene Beaubien on LifeEdge.

3.  What causes companies and countries to produce too much, even though they know that by producing too much, they'll cause the price to collapse?

Oil companies and countries may produce during periods of surplus for various reasons including:
•    The dependence of some countries on oil exports to fund their governments.
•    The decision of some energy oil countries  to maintain their share of the worldwide market or even to suppress prices to the point that higher cost producers can’t maintain operations
•    Contract commitments for services, rigs and products that prevent producers from making immediate reductions in production operations 
•    The need to continue producing in order to meet cash requirements or to maintain leases. 
•    Time lags between reduction in rigs and production due to the physical characteristics of the producing properties

 4.  How has political uncertainty and war affected the price of oil in the past?
Geopolitical events and war are a major risk factor in oil and gas markets.  Supply disruptions in major producing countries can cause dramatic price increases.  On the other hand, the restoration of production by a previously war torn countries increase supply and could suppress prices.  Following are a couple of examples.

•    The Iraq war and ongoing violent during the past decade, caused dramatic supply disruptions due the destruction of physical assets (ie. Fields, pipelines) and threats to personnel.
•    The restoration of production in Libya in 2015 added to world production and exacerbated the already existing supply surplus.
Changes in political regimes are another geopolitical factor in oil markets.  New regimes may attempt to change the terms of existing profit sharing agreements or even nationalize oil producing assets contracted to foreign oil companies.

5.  What is the "ideal" price of oil that's high enough to allow producers to cover costs and have a profit, but is low enough for the transportation industry other consumers to not suffer?
The price of oil is set on the global market based on worldwide supply and demand.  The ideal price is difficult to determine because exploration and production costs vary widely by location, production source (ie onshore vs onshore), technology, regulations and other factors.

6.  What do you think will be the final outcome of this down cycle?  Winners? Losers?
In general, the winners in today’s down cycle are the major consumers of oil and gas.  Winners include major oil and gas consuming industries including chemical, refining, transportation and electric generation.

Winning countries are net oil importers including Japan, India and non producing European countries.

Losers are those entities that are major producers of oil and gas.  Analysts estimate that 70 small U.S. producers went bankrupt in 2015.  Many more are likely to go bankrupt these years.  Losing countries include those for whom oil and gas make up large a share of government revenues such as Nigeria, Venezuela and Russia.