USA, California:

Opinion: Geothermal Power Must be Part of the Energy Mix (The Desert Sun)

The John L. Featherstone geothermal
power plant next to the Salton Sea

There is great potential for geothermal power around the Salton Sea. The Desert Sun (a local daily newspaper serving Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley of Southern California) applauds the efforts to tap the resource and generate money for mitigation as the sea shrinks. But there are major challenges, such as adequate transmission lines to connect those plants to the grid and the cost of developing the plants.

Geothermal power’s advantage is that it generates power consistently, not just when the wind is blowing or the sun is shining. But the cost per kilowatt from geothermal plants is higher than wind or solar. And with natural gas being plentiful and cheap — and cleaner than oil or coal plants — the California Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has an obligation to support the “least cost, best fit” alternatives.

We support renewable energy but not at all costs.

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