Geologists from the University of Kansas have begun a $4 million research project on geothermal energy.

The university says the three-year project is aimed at making it easier to power electric plants with geothermal energy.

The project is funded partly with $2.4 million from the U.S. Department of Energy. Other funding comes from the university’s Geology Department, the University of Oklahoma and the Sierra Geothermal Power Corp.

Associate professor of geology Daniel Stockli and two students began mapping a region in Nevada this month as an initial phase of the project. The team plans to create 3-D maps of the area to assess its underground temperature history.