Europe, Opinion:

'Significant Barriers' to Geothermal Power Must be Overcome (TheParliament.com)

With the right legislation, geothermal technology could make an important contribution to Europe's energy mix, says Vittorio Prodi.

In an environment of high and unstable energy prices, geothermal power offers a cost-effective, renewable and alternative energy option with multiple advantages. As it relies on harvesting the continuous heat flux coming from Earth, – which represents 25 billion times the world's annual energy consumption – it is an almost unlimited source of energy.

It is also the only source of renewable energy capable of driving consistent and reliable electricity generation 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

It is flexible and can provide base load electricity, thus complementing various other renewables while providing broad market opportunities. It could displace oil, gas and electricity, thus reducing our external energy dependency and increasing security of supply.

Last but not least, the integrated generation of heating and power has been shown to have a significant positive effect on job creation.

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