Geothermal Energy

There are three basic designs for geothermal power plants, all of which pull hot water and steam from the ground, use it, and then return it as warm water to prolong the life of the heat source.

Not only do geothermal resources in the United States offer great potential, they can also provide continuous baseload electricity.

In thousands of homes and buildings across the United States, geothermal heat pumps also use the steady temperatures just underground to heat and cool buildings, cleanly and inexpensively.

With more than 3,300 megawatts in eight states, the United States is a global leader in installed geothermal capacity.

These geothermal facilities produced approximately 68 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity, enough to meet the annual needs of more than 6 million typical U.S. households. Geothermal plants account for more than 25 percent of the electricity produced in both Iceland and El Salvador

For example, as of 2013 more than 11,700 megawatts (MW) of large, utility-scale geothermal capacity was in operation globally, with another 11,700 MW in planned capacity additions on the way

Many regions of the world are already tapping geothermal energy as an affordable and sustainable solution to reducing dependence on fossil fuels, and the global warming and public health risks that result from their use.

This heat energy, known as geothermal energy, can be found almost anywhere—as far away as remote deep wells in Indonesia and as close as the dirt in our backyards.

Heat from the earth can be used as an energy source in many ways, from large and complex power stations to small and relatively simple pumping systems.