The energy from the heat beneath the earth’s surface is essentially an unlimited resource. What if it could be developed to help solve our energy challenges?
Enhanced Geothermal Systems, or EGS, attempts to do just that. EGS produces heat and electricity by using the heat of the Earth’s interior to generate power, usually by using steam to drive turbines. New technologies are allowing engineers to tap cooler sources of heat or drill deeper and closer to the hot core of the Earth. EGS is a big challenge, but with the potential to power the world many times over, it demands our immediate attention.
A detailed map of geothermal energy potential beneath the U.S. is viewable on Google Earth. It suggests the U.S. could produce approximately three million megawatts of renewable, eco-friendly geothermal energy.