Pratt & Whitney Power Systems, Chena Power and the U.S. Department of Energy demonstrated a mobile geothermal power generation unit at the 2009 Geothermal Energy Expo in Reno, Nevada. It's actually the mobile version of Pratt & Whitney's PureCycle technology, which will allow customers to relocate energy generating capability from one geothermal or waste heat resource to another as circumstances dictate, said John Fox, director at Pratt & Whitney Power Systems.

Originally designed for the oil and gas industry, the PureCycle system can generate electricity from various heat sources with temperatures between 190 and 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Using a mobile unit at existing oil and gas sites can expedite return on investment for geothermal power, as the majority of development cost is in exploration, drilling and infrastructure.

The updated-for-geothermal-energy version has the self-contained cooling system that uses resource water to replenish the cooling tower water, thus eliminating the need for a separate fresh water source. In addition, it demonstrates how low temperature geothermal technology can diversify the nation's energy supply with base load renewable energy. Creation of new jobs was also mentioned in the press release, of course!