Interested in why we don’t see geothermal plants built in the US… Is it because the energy extracted is too expensive, poor sites in the US, etc. Outside references to reliable reports, sources would be great, thanks!
Re: sources, I’d like references to sources because, not having a background in the area, I don’t know the best places to look. This questions isn’t for some sort of school project.
More Pages:
- Solar Energy: I Need As Much Information About Solar Energy Possible. Can You Give Me Some Information And Some Source Links (5/16/2011)
- Solar Turbines: Solar Energy And Hydropower Energy Would You Say These Are Good Energy Resources? (5/14/2011)
- Geothermal energy…?
- Solar Energy: Geothermal Energy? (4/26/2011)
- Solar Energy: Geothermal Energy Is Often The Great Hope Of Renewable Energy As It Can Be Continuously And Reliably Produced? (5/8/2011)
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Geothermal energy is a effective source of energy, the problems are:
1. high intial cost.
2. high maintence costs (ie. cost a lot to fix)
3. extreamly hard to turn a profit (or cash flow) any large scale geothermal energy project.
The economics do work if you look at a medium or small (not micro) scale geothermal heat pump…Installing a geothermal heat pump would essentially “generate” the difference in electricity that would have been needed for air conditioning units. (reducing load is essentally the same thing as generating electricty).
Geothermal is reliable and can be cost effective if you get a good site.
The problem is that there aren’t all that many good sites for it so in most countries (probably including the US) it’ll be a minor part of the electricity mix.
There are few places in the world where the Earth’s crust is thin enough to make geothermal energy economical. Even in places where it is economical the steam that comes out of the ground can be highly corrosives and hard to handle.
Geo-thermal plants can be built anywhere in the world with existing technology. Cost however prevents them from being practical. There are many sites in the USA that would make great locations for such a plant but the best would be Yellowstone Park with its super heated geysers…the other sites also have the distinction of being part of the national parks system which brings in the government…ugh
Only of value in a few areas of the Continent.
Technology really insufficient to economically tap it. probably end up spending more than you’d save in most places.
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Mayhaps someday economies of scale may improve viability?
Everyone here is telling u it is cost prohibitive. the truth is that Corporations with great wealth and power are vested in Consumable power: Oil, Coal. And This is how they make their money. The mindset is Oil and coal, it is their religion and anything else is heresy. It is their to keep money going through them combined with the enormous amount ow wealth power and political influence they carry that will keep alternative power sources at bay.
it would be very expensive and you could only heat with it.but with a idea you could produce electricity. there are only sites at yellowstone national park but im sure someone could bore to the center of the earth but that may be too expensive as well. also it could lead to damage to the mantle and may cause a shift and earthquakes would occur.