California’s Resources: Geothermal Energy By: Brandon Balinado, George Kopti, & Austin Haddox

What is Geothermal Energy? Geothermal energy is a clean and sustainable resource that is generated by the heat of the Earth. Resources of geothermal energy range from the shallow ground to hot water and hot rock found a few miles beneath the Earth's surface. Resources of geothermal energy go even deeper to the extremely high temperatures of molten rock called magma. (Renewable Energy World)

How Geothermal Energy Works

How California Started Using Geothermal Energy California first started using geothermal energy when the California Energy Commission's Geothermal Program was created by Assembly Bill 1905. We have used geothermal energy ever since the year 1981. This program promoted the research, development, demonstration, and commercialization of California's enormous earth heat energy sources. (California Energy Commission)

Geothermal Energy in California

Uses of Geothermal Energy Geothermal reservoirs provide direct heat towards residential, industrial, and commercial uses. Geothermal energy also is used to heat homes and offices, commercial greenhouses, fish farms, food processing facilities, gold mining operations, and a variety of other applications. This direct use of geothermal energy is much less expensive than the cost of traditional fuels. (U.S. Department of Energy)

Benefits of Geothermal Energy Geothermal energy generally involves low running costs since it saves 80% costs over fossil fuels and no fuel is used to generate the power. Since, no fuel is require so costs for purchasing, transporting and cleaning up plants is quite low. Dependence on fossil fuels decreases with the increase in the use of geothermal energy. The prices of oil are so high, that many countries are pushing companies to use these clean sources of energy. There would be no pollution since it creates none which leaves us a safer, cleaner environment. This would also help out by decreasing global warming due to the non-burnings of fossil fuels which lead to pollution. (Kukreja)

Benefits of Geothermal Energy (Continued) It is very useful due to the fact that it can save California money by not having to use a lot of fossil fuels to heat things instead you can just use the heat. It is also very useful since it is a clean and even renewable source that is very convenient and reliable. It generates about $9.9 million and 13,000 gigawatt-hours of electricity. This type of energy is also very sustainable and won’t affect how much we use of it. (10 Reasons to Use Geothermal Energy)

Jobs Associated with Geothermal Energy Geothermal energy provides approximately 27,050 jobs as of now. Some job careers associated with geothermal energy are the environmental scientists, who work with geothermal plant developers to help them comply with environmental regulations and policies and to ensure that sensitive parts of the ecosystem are protected. These scientists produce environmental impact studies necessary for a geothermal project to earn its building permits. (Dan Jennejohn) (Liming)

Jobs Associated with Geothermal Energy (Continued) There are also hydrologists who study water and the water cycle. They study the movement, distribution, and other properties of water, and analyze how these properties influence the surrounding environment. On geothermal projects, hydrologists study the water below the earth's surface. They help decide where to drill wells and analyze the groundwater that is pumped from the underground reservoirs to the surface. (Dan Jennejohn) (Liming)

Jobs Associated with Geothermal Energy (Continued) There are also wildlife biologists who evaluate a geothermal plant's effect on local animal life. Although geothermal plants are not destructive, the construction of the related areas, such as plants, roads, and transmission towers, can be harmful to the natural environment. Biologists ensure that the plant's impact on local animal populations is minimal. They spend a great amount of their time outdoors at the site, ensuring the safety of the surrounding wildlife and making recommendations on how to avoid interfering with local ecosystems. (Dan Jennejohn) (Liming)

California Without Geothermal Energy Without geothermal energy, California would pretty much stay the way it is due to the fact that California uses more fossil fuels than it does geothermal energy which renders the geothermal energy sort of less useful. There would be no drastic changes to our society and nothing tragic would occur. The only cons of not having this energy would be having pollution and unclean energy resources. (Wikipedia)

Geothermal Energy with the Rise of Population The current rising of California’s population will most definitely increase the demand for geothermal energy since it is very abundant and a renewable resource of energy. Since California uses more fossil fuels than it does geothermal energy the increase of population will probably not make geothermal energy our primary source of energy Geothermal energy can be an important alternative energy. (Kolankiewicz)

Questions?

Works Cited 10 Reasons to Use Geothermal Energy. 2013. Web Article. 7 February 2013. <http://dsc.discovery.com/tv-shows/curiosity/topics/10-reasons-use-geothermal-energy.htm>. California Energy Commission. Geothermal Energy in California. 5 January 2013. Web Article. 7 February 2013. <http://www.energy.ca.gov/geothermal/>. Dan Jennejohn. "Green Jobs Through Geothermal Energy." October 2010. Geo-energy. Geothermal Energy Association. PDF. 7 February 2013. <http://www.geo-energy.org/pdf/reports/GreenJobs_Through_Geothermal_Energy_Final_Oct2010.pdf>. Kolankiewicz, Leon. The Neglected Dimension of America’s Persistent Energy/Environmental Problems. October 2002. Web Article. 7 February 2013. <http://www.mnforsustain.org/energy_kolankiewicz_energy_us_population.htm>. Kukreja, Rinkesh. Advantages of Geothermal Energy. 2013. Web Article. 7 February 2013. <http://www.conserve-energy-future.com/Advantages_GeothermalEnergy.php>. Liming, Drew. Careers in Geothermal Energy. 20 February 2012. Web Article. 7 February 2013. <http://www.bls.gov/green/geothermal_energy/geothermal_energy.htm>. Renewable Energy World. Renewable Energy World. 25 January 2013. Web Article. 25 January 2013. <http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/tech/geothermal-energy>. U.S. Department of Energy. Direct Use of Geothermal Energy. 28 January 2013. Web Article. 7 February 2013. <http://www1.eere.energy.gov/geothermal/directuse.html>. Wikipedia. Geothermal Energy. 13 December 2012. Web Article. 7 February 2013. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geothermal_energy>.