Friday, December 30, 2011

USA:

Geothermal Power Year In Review: Heat Of The Earth Still Locked Up (Re-posted from AOL Energy)



Workers drill near a geothermal energy plant to tap deep underground heat from the southern San Andreas Fault rift zone near the Salton Sea on July 6 near Calipatria, California. (Getty Images)

What if all the energy we needed was stored underneath the ground we walk on every day?



Geothermal power, generated from capturing earth's core heat stored deep underground, has become a growing reality as the industry marks a total US generation capacity of 3,000 MW this year. But unlike more recognized renewable energy sources like wind, solar and biomass, geothermal power is not widely recognized for its capability to produce base load, dependable, renewable energy.