USA: Department of State Gets Behind Global Geothermal Energy

U.S. Partnership With IRENA: Harnessing the Potential of Geothermal Energy (US Department of State)

Amos Hochstein, Special Envoy and Coordinator for International Energy Affairs at the U.S. Department of State

The United States’ new partnership with the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) is one way we and our partners in the Global Geothermal Alliance (GGA) are working to demonstrate our commitment to the global clean energy economy. The launch of this new partnership complements the efforts underway in Paris by forging action to increase the share of geothermal energy in the global energy mix through both geothermal power generation and direct use of geothermal heat.

Geothermal energy is a proven clean energy technology that provides stable and affordable electricity. Geothermal resources can also provide direct heating for domestic, commercial, and the industrial sectors. With geothermal resources now identified in nearly 90 countries, this resource has great potential to contribute to a cleaner energy future. We have only barely begun to harness this potential— to date, only 24 countries, including the United States, are producing geothermal electricity, leaving 94 percent of the estimated global geothermal power potential untapped.

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