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Hearing Float On -- Modest Mouse
The Power of Hot Rocks
Could geothermal energy become a useful new source of energy here in the US?
A comprehensive new MIT-led study of the potential for geothermal energy within the United States has found that mining the huge amounts of heat that reside as stored thermal energy in the Earth's hard rock crust could supply a substantial portion of the electricity the United States will need in the future, probably at competitive prices and with minimal environmental impact.
An 18-member panel led by MIT
prepared the 400-plus page study, titled "The Future of Geothermal
Energy." Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, it is the first
study in some 30 years to take a new look at geothermal, an energy
resource that has been largely ignored.
I'll say. I understand the concepts behind geothermal energy myself but I'll be the first to admit that using it generate electricity is something that simply wasn't on my radar. I have to admit that I like its sheer simplicity (basically: pour water on hot rocks, make steam, power turbines), but it almost feels too easy.
Of course, drilling down far enough that you actually tap into the earth's own internal heat isn't exactly a simple task in itself, so I'm probably wildly understating some of the issues there. But inasmuch as I'm a believer in doing everything we can to make the US as energy self-sufficient as possible, call me officially intrigued.
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1/23/07 11:12 PM