❗Let's close the gap: We still need your help to raise $40,000 by April 1. Donate now

Geothermal energy gathering steam

Sam Eaton Jan 22, 2007
HTML EMBED:
COPY

Geothermal energy gathering steam

Sam Eaton Jan 22, 2007
HTML EMBED:
COPY

TEXT OF STORY

MARK AUSTIN THOMAS: When we think of alternate energy sources, we think of things like solar power, wind power or maybe biofuels. But there’s another energy source that’s attracting new attention. It comes from the earth’s own heat. From the Marketplace Sustainability Desk Sam Eaton explains.


SAM EATON: It’s called geothermal energy, and a team of MIT scientists have come out with the first comprehensive study to assess the technology’s potential in more than three decades.

Project leader Jefferson Tester says by tapping the vast amounts of heat trapped in the earth’s crust, the U.S. could generate a tenth of its power needs without emitting a single molecule of CO2.

JEFFERSON TESTER: And we can get access to it technically. This isn’t something that requires new drilling technology.

It’s just a matter of drilling to depths of 5,000 feet or more, fracturing the rocks and then pumping water in to create steam.

That steam drives turbines on the surface, generating electricity. And unlike other renewable energy technologies such as wind and solar, geothermal provides a constant energy source, so long as there’s enough water.

And there’s the rub. The shallowest pockets of hot rock are in the western U.S., where water can be hard to come by.

I’m Sam Eaton for Marketplace.

There’s a lot happening in the world.  Through it all, Marketplace is here for you. 

You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible. 

Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.