1. Geothermal Energy By: Billy Simon

2.  Geothermal Energy: is thermal energy generated and stored in the earth  Thermal Energy: is energy that determines the temperature of matter

3.  Dry Steam Plants- directly use geothermal steam to turn turbines  Flash Steam Plants-pull deep, high pressure hot water into lower pressure tanks and use the resulting flashed steam to drive turbines  Binary- Cycle Plants- pass moderately hot geothermal water by a second fluid with a much lower boiling point than water. This causes the second fluid to flash to vapors driving the turbine.

4.  Sustainability: it is a globally sustainable energy source  Availability: emerging technologies will continue to make it available in more areas  Cleaner: it is, on average, a cleaner energy source than fossil fuels  Safety: it is less dangerous, to develop and use than fossil fuels

5.  Is it more cost efficient to build a geothermal power plant compared to a power plant that uses natural gas?  How many years will it take for the pay back of the geothermal power plant to equal the cost of fuel used by a natural gas power plant?

6.  Cost to build a Geothermal Power Plant?  $3,400 per kw installed  A 100 mw Power Plant would cost $340,000,000  Cost to build a Natural Gas Power Plant?  $1,200 per kw installed  A 100 mw Power Plant would cost $120,000,000

7.  It takes 7cubic ft. of natural gas to produce 1 mw for an hour  7000 cubic ft. of natural gas = 100 mwh  Natural gas prices: 1000 cubic Ft. = $7.00  7000 cubic Ft. * $7 = $49,000 of fuel per hour  $49,000 * 24 * 365 = $429,240,000  It would cost $429,240,000 a year to fuel a power plant with natural gas

8.  A Geothermal Power plant cost $340 million to build but doesn’t have to pay for fuel.  Leading to a cost of $340 million overall  A Natural gas fueled power plant cost $120 million to build but it cost $429,240,000 annually to purchase natural gas to fuel it.  Leading to a cost of $549,240,000 overall

9.  I found that within a year the Geothermal power plant would be more cost efficient than a natural gas power plant.  It would save approximately $200 million in the first year.

10.  I assumed the power plants were operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week  I also assumed that both power plants had comparable maintenance costs

11.  Geothermal energy from the earth is a cleaner and cost efficient form of energy  More geothermal power plants should be built in order to help prevent pollution at a cheap cost  Questions?

12.  "Geothermal Basics - Power Plant Costs." Geothermal Energy Association. Web. 29 Mar. 2011..  Ristinen, Robert A., and Jack J. Kraushaar. Energy and the Environment. 2nd ed. N.p.: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2006. N. pag. Print.  "Electric Power & Utilities: 1 Megawatt Hour Sale Price USA, Mw Power Plant, Gas Power Plants." AllExperts Questions & Answers. Web. 29 Mar. 2011..