Benefits Of Geothermal Power Outweigh The Risks (OilPrice.com)
The debate over geothermal energy has generally been a quiet one. With just 13 gigawatts (GW) of global installed capacity, it is considered by some to be a relatively non-controversial (or even irrelevant) energy issue.
Geothermal energy is not only the cheapest form of renewable power but also the most reliable. It is the only renewable energy source that can provide baseload power to the grid, complementing the intermittency of solar and wind.
The greenhouse gas emissions from geothermal are essentially negligible. A U.S. Department of Energy study estimated that the lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions from geothermal power plants were four times less than solar PV and six to 20 times less than natural gas.
Geothermal power plants are also more efficient in terms of land and water use. A geothermal plant requires an estimated 404 m2 per GWh. This is compared to 3642 m2 for coal, 1335 m2 for wind and 3237 m2 for solar PV.
However, as other Oilprice commentators have noted, a combination of policy, financing, and resource availability are likely to keep geothermal power on global energy sidelines in the coming decades.
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