Renewable Energy: Geothermal

So we have discussed two of the four major renewable power sources in our last two post and the pros and cons of wind and solar energy. Geothermal energy is another fair option for energy production in the world.
Geothermal energy is created by the heat emitted from magma underneath the Earth’s crust. The heat is produced from the radioactive decay of elements such as uranium and potassium. The heat is captured by a system of pump stations that either convert the heat energy into electrical energy or use it to heat and regulate air temperature in a home. Geothermal energy is suspected to be able to supply 50,000 the same amount of energy as all of the oil and natural gas reserves worldwide. (UCS) Geothermal is a viable option for most countries for energy production including the United States. For example, more than 8,900 megawatts (MW) of large, utility-scale geothermal capacity in 24 countries now produce enough electricity to meet the annual needs of nearly 12 million typical U.S. households (GEA 2008a). There are only a few real problems with geothermal energy that makes it a slow fuel to transition. Geothermal is cheap energy, but the initial cost for the plants to harness it are extremely expensive. Even the small scale home versions can substantially increase the cost for a home owner. Also another problem is location, currently geothermal plants require areas that have a high underground heat index. (Refernce above picture). The plants are required to be built in areas with either volcanoes or plate faults in the Earth’s crust. These conditions; however, are required to produce electricity, the smaller home ones are pretty much available for heating and cooling anywhere in the world. Perhaps someday every home will be installed with a geothermal system to heat and cool our homes lowering one of the largest energy consumption in the world.