Geothermal Energy: Earth's Hidden Power
Key insights and future outlook for harnessing geothermal energy at scale
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Section 5 of 5Geothermal Energy Essentials
Resource Characteristics
- • Heat from Earth's core and radioactive decay
- • Accessible via hydrothermal systems and hot rock
- • Temperatures from 50°C to 350°C+
- • Global potential exceeds 100,000 GW
- • Current capacity: ~15 GW worldwide
Technology Options
- • Dry steam: Direct steam from reservoir
- • Flash steam: High-pressure water conversion
- • Binary cycle: Heat transfer to organic fluid
- • Enhanced systems: Engineered reservoirs
- • Hybrid approaches: Combined technologies
Environmental Profile
- • Zero operational greenhouse gas emissions
- • Small land footprint (1-8 acres/MW)
- • High capacity factor (90%+ availability)
- • Minimal water use in closed systems
- • Long operational life (30+ years)
Key Challenges
- • High upfront exploration and drilling costs
- • Site-specific resource availability
- • Induced seismicity management
- • Technology scaling and cost reduction
- • Regulatory and permitting processes
Interactive Future Scenario Planner
Future Development Scenarios
Development Factors
MinimalMassive
WeakStrong
CurrentBreakthrough
Global Capacity Projections (GW)
0
2030
0
2040
0
2050
Technology Development Roadmap
2025
current
Advanced binary cyclesSupercritical systemsEGS pilot plants
2030
near-term
Closed-loop EGSMineral extractionHybrid systems
2035
mid-term
Deep geothermalGeopressured systemsOcean thermal
2040
long-term
Artificial geothermalSpace-based explorationQuantum sensing
Key Insight: The future of geothermal energy depends on coordinated advances in exploration technology, reservoir engineering, and power conversion systems. Breakthroughs in Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) could unlock vast new resources worldwide.
Market Opportunities
Direct Use Applications
Heating, cooling, industrial processes
Hybrid Systems
Combined with solar, wind, or storage
Mineral Extraction
Critical minerals from geothermal brines
District Heating
Community-scale heating networks
Research Priorities
EGS Technology
Engineered geothermal systems
Exploration Methods
Advanced resource assessment
Seismicity Management
Induced earthquake mitigation
Cost Reduction
Drilling and plant construction
Strategic Outlook
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Global Potential
Geothermal energy could provide 3-5% of global electricity by 2050, with much higher shares in favorable regions.
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Technology Innovation
Breakthroughs in Enhanced Geothermal Systems could unlock vast new resources and reduce costs significantly.
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Clean Energy Role
As a reliable, weather-independent source, geothermal complements solar and wind in the renewable energy mix.