Geothermal energy is derived from the Earth’s heat and has the ability to generate hot water, heating for buildings and electricity. It is accessed by drilling water or steam wells in a process similar to drilling for oil. Geothermal is a highly beneficial energy source because it is considered to be clean, reliable and domestically accessible.
Geothermal energy sources can be found from the shallow ground to the hot water and rock located several miles beneath the Earth’s surface, and even deeper down into the Earth’s magma. Wells more than a mile long can be drilled into reservoirs located underground. Most geothermal reservoirs in the U.S. are found in the western states, Hawaii and Alaska.
Three different technologies are used to harness the energy from geothermal drilling in order to generate heating and electricity. These include geothermal heat pumps, direct-use applications and power plants.
Sources: National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and U.S. Department of Energy (Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy)