Geothermal energy is created by the heat of the earth. It generates reliable power and emits almost no greenhouse gases.
This is how it works: When groundwater seeps below the earth’s surface near a dormant volcano, the water is heated by reservoirs of molten rock, usually at depths of up to 9,800 feet (3,000 m). Wells similar to those used to produce oil and natural gas are drilled to recover the water. Once captured, steam and hot water are separated. The steam is cleaned and sent to the power plant. The separated water is returned to the reservoir, helping to regenerate the steam source.
Only a small group of sites around the globe — primarily in the Pacific Rim region — provide the special conditions needed to generate geothermal energy. At these locations, deep fractures in the earth’s crust allow the molten rock to surge close enough to the earth’s surface to heat water that goes underground.
In addition to providing clean, renewable power, geothermal energy has significant environmental advantages. Geothermal emissions contain no chemical pollutants or waste — they consist mostly of water, which is reinjected underground.
Geothermal energy is a reliable source of power that reduces the need for imported fuels. It’s also renewable because it is based on a practically limitless resource-natural heat within the earth.
The electricity produced by our geothermal power operations is sold to local power grids, providing clean energy to fuel the growth of some of the most rapidly expanding economies in the world.
Recent Comments