| It is increasingly being recognized that the world has to | | | | electricity in large power plants. Today, geothermal |
| replace fossil fuels with alternate fuels. This recognition | | | | energy provides about five percent of California's |
| is being driven by three premises: | | | | electricity, and 25 percent of El Salvador's. In Idaho and |
| First: Fossil fuels, coal, oil and natural gas, are | | | | Iceland, geothermal heat is used to warm buildings and |
| accelerating in cost as they are consumed in | | | | other applications. In thousands of homes and buildings |
| ever-increasing amounts. The February 12, 2008 issue | | | | across the United States, geothermal heat pumps use |
| of the Wall Street Journal has two articles to | | | | the steady temperature just underground to heat and |
| re-enforce this premise. The first article, "China Spurs | | | | cool buildings, cleanly and inexpensively. |
| Coal-Price Surge," by Shai Oster and Ann Davis, | | | | Physics of Geothermal Energy: Just a few meters |
| informs us that the price of coal out of Newcastle, | | | | below the earth's surface the temperature of the soil |
| Australia has increased from $40 USD at the start of | | | | becomes rather constant. You can depend on this |
| 2007to $125 USA at the 2008. The article goes on to | | | | constant temperature throughout the seasons. You |
| inform us that coal will join oil and natural gas in 2015 | | | | can extract this heat in the winter to heat your house |
| as sources that are depleting. | | | | or to "bury" your heat in the summer to cool your |
| The second article, "The Future of World Oil Supply - | | | | house. Trench-pipe systems are utilized in areas |
| Filling the Missing Link," by Peter Jackson and Keith | | | | where ample space is available and well systems are |
| Eastwood ,informs us that the world's oil fields will | | | | utilized where there is limited space. It is within the |
| reach peak production around 2025 and then start a | | | | trench or well system that "coolant" is circulated to |
| rapid decline in production. Second: Oil and gas imports | | | | deposit or extract the energy within the earth. As one |
| from foreign sources raise concerns over our | | | | can extrapolate, the further we reach into the earth |
| long-term energy security. We all have witnessed the | | | | the higher the temperature will be. We have a great |
| jump in oil prices caused by wars, strikes and disrupted | | | | understanding of the heat transfer parameters for all |
| supplies. Gregory Meyers' article in the same issue of | | | | the zones of the United States. The physical |
| the Wall Street Journal cited Venezuelan President | | | | parameters of this technology are beyond the scope |
| Hugo Chavez' threat to disrupt the supply of oil to the | | | | of this paper, but past successes in design have |
| USA because of a dispute with Exxon Mobil Corp. | | | | demonstrated our ability to harness this energy. In |
| This threat caused a 2% increase in the price of crude | | | | addition, we can gain a great benefit from our oil |
| oil. | | | | companies. The technology successes that the oil |
| Third: Burning fossil fuels dumps carbon dioxide and | | | | companies have had in drilling for oil can now be |
| other pollutants into the atmosphere. The dumping of | | | | applied to drilling for geothermal energy. |
| the pollutants is considered a fact. The severity of the | | | | Great, How Much Will It Cost Us? An MIT study by |
| damage to our atmosphere is still being debated, but | | | | MIT Professor Jefferson Tester et.al., The Future of |
| most scientists believe that the future consequences | | | | Geothermal Energy, a study of the potential for |
| will be very damaging to the quality and affordability of | | | | geothermal energy within the United States, found that |
| the lifestyles of our current and future generations. | | | | mining the huge amounts of heat that resides as |
| Fortunately, renewable energies are accelerating into | | | | stored thermal energy in the earth's hard rock crust |
| the forefront to replace fossil fuels, but will the | | | | could supply a substantial portion of the electricity the |
| replacement be in time? Germany has adopted wind | | | | United States will need in the future, probably at |
| and solar energies and is leading the world in the | | | | competitive prices and with minimal environmental |
| replacement of fossil fuels. These alternate fuels are | | | | impact. It was their conclusion that geothermal energy |
| quickly being adopted in many countries to help replace | | | | could supply 10% of our electrical needs by the year |
| fossil fuels. These countries provide a blueprint for the | | | | 2050. This time frame could be accelerated if we, and |
| USA to follow and in replacing its dependence on fossil | | | | our government, adopted a more aggressive schedule. |
| fuels. The most popular replacements are wind and | | | | A conclusion from the MIT study ,mentioned previously |
| solar energy. Both of these technologies require us to | | | | estimates that a project costing $300 million US dollars |
| rethink our energy policies. | | | | to $400 million US dollars is needed to fund early |
| There is a third leg available for the replacement of | | | | generation plants. The same study cites a US |
| fossils fuels, geothermal energy. This type of energy | | | | government study of geothermal energy which |
| offers us a potential to replace our coal fired electrical | | | | estimates that for every 100,000 nominally sized |
| generating plants by 2050. It is available and being | | | | residential units consumers will save approximately |
| utilized today. It is the third leg of the tripod that we | | | | $500 million over a 20 year time span in heating and |
| need to replace fossil fuels in time to retain our quality | | | | cooling cost at today's prices. This estimate was from |
| of life. What is Geothermal Energy?. | | | | a 1993 US Government report. Installation of a heat |
| Geothermal energy is derived from the heat in the | | | | pump in a four-bedroom, 3,000 square foot house |
| interior of the earth. Geothermal systems move the | | | | situated in the middle of the US would cost |
| heat from the earth into the home in the winter and | | | | approximately $26,000.00. Payback at today's energy |
| discharge heat into the ground in the summer. | | | | cost of $0.09 per kilowatt would be in the range of 13 |
| Underground piping serves as a heat source in the | | | | to 14 years. Government incentives and home |
| winter and a heat sink in the summer. In essence, it is | | | | appreciation are not included in this analysis. |
| the same heat-exchanging process used by the | | | | Summary: Geothermal energy is a tested and |
| common refrigerator or air conditioner. Heat from the | | | | available renewable energy that can be utilized to |
| earth can be used as an energy source in many | | | | replace fossil fuels today. Heat mining has the potential |
| ways, from large and complex power stations to small | | | | to supply a significant amount of the country's |
| and relatively simple pumping stations. Examples of this | | | | electricity currently being generated by conventional |
| heat energy can be found almost anywhere. It can be | | | | fossil fuel, hydroelectric and nuclear plants. The resolve |
| found as far away as remote, deep wells in Indonesia | | | | to replace fossil fuels with geothermal, wind or solar is |
| and as close as our own backyard. | | | | left to us and to our government. The technologies are |
| In the Western United States and in other places | | | | available and ready to be deployed. |
| around the world, geothermal energy produces | | | | |