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4/15/2018 Geothermal Energy

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Geothermal Energy -- Energy from the Earth's

Core
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The word geothermal comes from


the Greek words geo (earth) and
therme (heat).

On May 18, 1980, Mt. St. Helens, an


active volcano in Washington, erupted
(leave this site to see a picture),
providing a vivid display of the energy
contained within the Earth. Most
volcanic activity occurs around the
Pacific Ocean's rim, the Ring of Fire.

Volcanic energy cannot be harnessed (controlled and


collected), but in a few places heat from the earth, called
geothermal energy, can be collected. Usually, engineers try
to collect this heat in the rare places where the Earth's crust
has trapped steam and hot water. Here, they drill into the
crust and allow the heat to escape, either as steam, or as
very hot water. Pipes carry the hot water to a plant, where
some of the steam is allowed to "flash," or separate from
the water. That steam then turns a turbine - generator to
make electricity.

Geothermal energy was first


used to produce electricity in Italy in 1903. At the end of
2004, there were 43 power plants producing electricity
from geothermal energy in the USA. Most of these are
located in California and Nevada; Utah has two geothermal
plants and Hawaii, formed by volcanic eruptions, has one.
Generation from geothermal sources is therefore "site
specific," meaning it's only possible in a few places under
unique geologic conditions. One such site in California, called The Geysers, can produce
almost as much electricity as all the other geothermal sites combined.

Geothermal energy can be used as an efficient heat source in small end-use applications
such as greenhouses, but the consumers have to be located close to the source of heat. The
capital of Iceland, Reykjavik, is heated mostly by geothermal energy.

Geothermal energy has a major environmental benefit because it offsets air pollution that
would have been produced if fossil fuels were the energy source. Geothermal energy has a
very minor impact on the soil - the few acres used look like a small light-industry building
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4/15/2018 Geothermal Energy

complex. Since the slightly cooler water is reinjected into the ground, there is only a
minor impact, except if there is a natural geyser field close by. For this reason, tapping
into the geothermal resources of Yellowstone National Park is prohibited by Law.
Last Revised: April 2006
Sources: Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Annual 2004, .
The National Energy Education Development Project, Intermediate Energy Infobook, 2005.

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