Geothermal energy

To put it simply, geothermal power is the utilization of the earth's natural heat. At many locations around the world, heat from the earth's mantle approaches close to the surface, chiefly in volcanically and or seismically active zones. Magnificent examples include the Big Island of Hawaii, Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines, Yellowstone, and Mt. St. Helens. Commercially viable sources of geothermal energy exist when the heat is close to the surface, a source of water can act as a heat transfer medium, and a geologic setting exists that contains the heat so it concentrates and doesn't dissipate. In addition, the heat must be adequate to provide temperatures at least above 290 degrees F to take advantage of currently available energy conversion technologies. This paper is directed toward the utilization of geothermal energy for power generation. It describes the industry today, the author's view of the benefits of geothermal power, and some measures that could increase the beneficial use of this power source