Geothermal energy utilizes the heat radiating from the core of the Earth towards its surface. It can be harnessed to power electricity grids around the world and to support humanity’s heating and cooling needs. An abundant energy source, it allows the Earth to be used as the ultimate battery of stored energy.
To quote the European Commission: “Geothermal energy is a renewable and untapped source of natural energy that comes from the Earth’s subsurface. 70% of the EU’s surface could potentially perform geothermal exploitation. As such, geothermal energy is a serious and viable contender to help lever Europe into first place as a carbon-neutral continent by 2050.”
Click below to see a short video explaining the differences between conventional geothermal systems and advanced geothermal systems. The latter apply horizontal drilling techniques from the oil and gas industry to construct “closed loops” or subterranean radiators, thereby eliminating exploration and hydrothermal resource risk.
Geothermal is complementary to other sources of energy and presents substantial advantages:
CLEAN. Geothermal energy is a clean, renewable and sustainable source of electric power, heating and cooling. It has a small environmental and physical footprint compared with any other source of energy, whether renewable or fossil combustion, and it produces no harmful emissions or waste streams.
SCALABLE. Technical advances over the last decade have made geothermal energy accessible to far more geographies and at greater scale. No longer restricted to areas of the world with active tectonic faults, such as Iceland or the Pacific Ocean’s “Ring of Fire”, the latest technology mitigates exploration risk without fracking and enables the creation of closed-loop renewable energy systems that serve as underground radiators, broadening the availability of geothermal energy to regions of the world where it was previously thought not to be applicable.
BASELOAD. Electricity grids need to supply their customers with a continuous flow of electricity all day, every day. Geothermal energy taps into the Earth’s heat as the optimal local source of baseload power that is independent of both geopolitical events and variable weather.
DISPATCHABLE. Geothermal energy can complement intermittent renewables such as solar and wind power by filling in for them when sunlight or wind are not present. It can use the Earth as a vast battery and “dispatch” geothermal power to the grid when needed to balance supply and demand, improving overall resilience.
Geothermal is “the heat beneath our feet”, according to the US Department of Energy as they outline potential for a 26-fold increase in geothermal energy production by 2050.*
* DOE 2019 Report: “The Heat Beneath our Feet”
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| Geothermal | Hydro | Nuclear | Solar Pv | Wind | Oil & Gas | Coal | |
| Baseload |  |
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| Dispatchable | |
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| Direct Heat | |
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| Low GHG | |
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| Scalable | |
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| Low Waste | |
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