Old oil fields could be geothermal power source

The Teapot Dome in central Wyoming will always be associated with 1 of the nation's biggest political scandals in the 1920s. But these days it's proving that old oil fields can be a source for clean, renewable energy. Now called the Rocky Mountain Oil Test Center, the field near Casper is the site of a demonstration project that shows hot water extracted from established oil and gas fields can be turned into geothermal power. Similar projects are being conducted elsewhere. Using hot water from oil and gas fields to create electricity benefits both the environment and the field by broadening and extending the field's use and producing clean energy. While more work is needed to show that the new geothermal resource is practical, industry officials say it holds great promise.