What is the Definition of Geothermal Power?
Geothermal power makes use of the heat energy trapped inside the Earth. It is a potentially unlimited source of renewable energy. According to the Geothermal Energy Association, geothermal power accounted for 3,000 megawatts of electricity in the United States in 2007.SourcesGeothermal energy can be extracted from hot water geysers, magma, hot dry rock, and sandstone-shale formations. In fact, any location with hot water reservoirs with temperatures exceeding 300 degrees F can be used to generate geothermal power.PotentialAccording to a 2006 analysis conducted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the geothermal resources in the United States have the potential of producing 100 gigawatts of electricity over the next 50 years.Power PlantsFlash and dry steam power plants use steam, while binary power plants use liquids with lower boiling points than water. Flash/binary combined cycle power plants combine flash and binary technology.EnvironmentCompared to fossil fuel power plants,
