What Sets Geothermal Power Apart from Other Renewable Energy Sources?
While renewable energy technologies including solar, wind and geothermal energy face common challenges such as the potential for project delays and equipment breakdowns, geothermal energy presents additional industry specific considerations. • Many geothermal energy sources in the U.S. are located on federal lands and therefore raise unique permitting, licensing and regulatory issues. • Geothermal projects require advance subsurface exploration to confirm the availability of geothermal power in a given area. Geothermal projects, therefore, carry greater upfront risks than wind and solar projects that do not require advance exploration to determine power availability. • Geothermal plants produce sludge and emit hydrogen sulfide which has a sulfurous odor, thereby raising specific pollution abatement and waste disposal issues. • Construction of geothermal plants can involve installation of cooling towers, drilling rigs, geothermal pipelines and re-injection systems. Cooling tower fans an
