Increase Text Size
Decrease Text Size
Email This Story
Share This Story
Reader Comments (4)
Image Gallery (1)
Add to Bookmarks
Printer Friendly Version
The Geothermal Energy Association (GEA) has released the second part of its two reports assessing the status and effectiveness of geothermal energy technologies in use around the world.
The report details a variety of new and under-used technologies that could revolutionize the industry as binary technology did decades ago.
Jim is confusing Solar energy stored in the ground with Geothermal energy. True Geothermal energy is derived from Geothermal properties such as Volcanism, and Radio-isotope decay. (All rock has traces of Uranium, Radon etc. which decays giving off heat).
The problems Todd refers to appear to arise from toxic substances disolved in the hot water coming up from Geothermal wells, and are specific to the location. In other areas, you might only get Calcium Carbonate and the like - such as you get in bottled spring water, though probably a bit too concentrated to do your kidneys any good.
Here's more common facts from anotehr article right here. Quote below. From DRAGGIN GEO THERMAL..way it works is simple. The Earth absorbs 50% of all solar energy. Groundwater in New England is at a relatively constant temperature of 52 degrees all year long. In winter, this warmth is extracted by pumping groundwater out of the well. The well water is pumped to a heat pump inside the home.
.. With geothermal there are no worries about carbon monoxide, fuel leaks or spills, fumes, soot More than 1 million geothermal systems have been installed in the US. systems have saved 8 billion kwh of electricity and reduced the amount of CO2 by 5.8 million metric tons. equivalent to taking 1,295,000 cars off the road
Todd, I've never heard of geo thermal using acidification before. Thta doesn't sound like any I have seen or read about.
In general geo-thermal doesn't use any toxic fluids. In fact they use food grade fluids just in case there is a leak. The system in your are is very different. I hope people readg this don't assume all are like the one you are fighting.
you website said / quote Acidification involves dumping up to 60,000 gallons of highly toxic hydrofluoric acids into as many as 20 wells 9,000 to 11,000 feet deep. The permit would allow Calpine to discharge and pipe acidified geothermal fluids that also contain arsenic and mercury into million-gallon sumps.
Don't believe the corporate spin on this. Locally we have been fighting installation of a geothermal plant for years on environmental grounds.... and ARE winning!
See:
http://www.mountshastaecology.org/Winter2007/WinterSpring2006-7%20issue.html#Medicine_Lake
for details
Todd
Previous Article
