U.S. researchers have released an interactive database of the nation’s geothermal resources, mapping in detail the areas of exploration that they say could produce roughly 3 million megawatts of energy using existing technologies. Researchers at the Southern Methodist University Geothermal Laboratory assembled geological data from 35,000 sites nationwide, including the depth and temperature of geothermal resources for each state. Those projections, which can be viewed using Google Earth software, suggest there is significantly more potential for geothermal energy than previously believed, particularly in the eastern two-thirds of the nation. While geothermal production in the U.S. has typically been limited to heat-producing, tectonically active regions of the West, recent advancements in drilling and extraction technologies have made it possible to tap into a wider range of geologic regions. The study was funded by Google’s non-profit arm, Google.org.

Click to enlarge

Google Earth Geothermal potential in the U.S.

Article appearing courtesy Yale Environment 360 .

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Singer Bjork Iceland’s most famous export, joined her fellow countrymen and women last week as part of a three-day karaoke marathon protest against Canadian firm Magma Energy’s growing stake in Iceland’s HS Orka power plant.

Magma Energy is a geothermal exploration power company founded in 2008. It says on its website that it is North America’s second largest primary geothermal power producer and has a portfolio in three key geothermal regions in the world: western USA, Chile and Iceland.

According to the website Savingiceland.org, Magma already owns 46% of the stocks in HS Orka and wants to increase its stake to 98.5%, which would leave only 1.5% of the company in Icelandic hands.

At stake is the maintenance of Iceland’s independence and control over its natural resources as the country is increasingly flooded with foreign investment since its financial meltdown in 2008. HS Orka provides nine per cent of the country’s electricity.

The protest supported by Bjork and named Declare Independence collected 46,000 signatures in a petition, exceeding the minimum requirement of 35,000 required for a referendum. The transaction has already received regulatory approved but a government-appointed committee has not yet presented its report.

The event was held during the Icelandic holiday of Threttandinn which local folklore says is when elves and magical creatures come out to party with humans. Bjork performed Joy Division’s classic song, Love Will Tear Us Apart.

Article by Antonio Pasolini, a Brazilian writer and video art curator based in London, UK. He holds a BA in journalism and an MA in film and television.

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The Philippine government plans to approve 19 new contracts to develop the nation’s massive geothermal energy resources in the next five months.

A top energy official said financial incentives for the development of renewable energy projects could attract more than $2.5 billion in private dollars from domestic and international companies.

“Incentives for renewable projects are giving geothermal development a much needed boost,” Alejandro Oanes, the Phllippine Energy Department’s division chief for geothermal energy, said.

The Philippines is already the world’s second-largest producer of geothermal energy. In fact, for more than three decades the nation has tapped into its remarkable geothermal resources, which are the result of volcanic pressures caused by the movement of the Philippine tectonic plate beneath the Eurasian plate.

With about 2,000 megawatts of installed capacity, geothermal energy accounted for 17 percent of the nation’s total power output in 2008. The 19 new projects could add another 620 megawatts of power.

Article appearing courtesy of Yale Environment 360

[photo credit: penmanila]

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