Benefits and Risks of Geothermal Technology

At the core of the Earth the temperature is estimated to be somewhere in the neighborhood of 7,000 degrees Fahrenheit. This extreme heat is caused by the decaying process of radioactive particles. 

Yes, the Earth is nothing less than a giant nuclear reactor. That reactor will continue to create energy for the foreseeable life of the planet.This technology shows promise of being the answer to our planets energy needs as well as being an environmentally friendly process.

If a hole 3-4 miles deep is drilled in the earth surface, what can be found is hot rock that is 300-400 degree Fahrenheit. The heat from the hot rock rises to the surface producing a source of geothermal energy. This can be done most anywhere on the planet.

If this vein of heat meets with a geological fault on the way to the surface it mixes with any available underground water, producing steam that is known as hydroelectric energy.

Hydroelectric energy can be useful in many ways. It can create electricity by being used to turn the turbines that produce electric power and that power could eliminate the need for conventional methods of creating electricity. It can be used as radiant heat to bring heat to homes, businesses, greenhouses and could be used in industry.

Geothermal technology, as with any new technology has a number of drawbacks that are cause for concern. Primary is that of the cost of drilling and converting that energy to a useful power source. These and numerous other issues must be addressed before geothermal energy can be implemented on a large scale and become a reliable source of sustainable energy.

Some of the positive aspects of geothermal technology are:

· Environmentally Friendly

· The waste product is steam

· Takes up about the same space as a traditional power facility

· Eliminated the need for underground pipe to supply gas for production

· Uses no fossil fuels in production

Any concerns are by far out weighed by the positive aspects of what geothermal energy promises to offer the world and our future.