Time To Push Geothermal

There is one area in the sustainable energy debate that seems to be relegated to the back of the bus – geothermal. Most of the coverage surrounding Washington’s energy initiatives are on solar, wind, and when we can lift the ban on deep-ocean drilling.  Missing the bus on tapping geothermal resources lacks foresight on our part.  Using heat from the earth to warm our homes and power our electric needs is not a difficult option.  Right now the U.S. has the most geothermal capacity in the world, and it’s not being utilized to its fullest.  There are 40 geothermal plants in California alone that provide 5 percent of that state’s electricity.  Eight states in the U.S. produce 3,000 megawatts from geothermal.  Iceland produces 50 percent of its electrical needs from geothermal, while the Philippines and El Salvador get 25% of their needs from geothermal.  The amount of heat we can draw from inside of the earth to warm and fuel our electric needs is staggering.  The amount of heat at 33,000 feet below the earth’s surface contains 50,000 times more energy than all the oil and gas resources in the world.  Areas in the world that contain the highest amount of geothermal capabilities are found in regions with active or geologically young volcanoes.  These hot spots occur along the Pacific Rim, often called the Ring of Fire.  California, Alaska, Oregon, and Nevada are this country’s hot spots for geothermal.  The cool thing about geothermal is that anyone can tap into it.  You don’t need to drill down 33,000 feet to warm your home and fuel the lights.  Homes and businesses can tap down from 150 feet to 300 feet to secure enough heat to power a heat pump.  Costs range throughout the country, but the average seems to be around $20,000 for one well.  Best part of geothermal is that the earth keeps renewing itself with volcanic activity providing us with a carbon free energy source.  Right now we should be financing new geothermal power plants, and provide taxpayers with incentives to convert their heating needs to geothermal, solar, and wind.