Where
is it found?
Since geothermal power can be made anywhere there is
geothermal energy, it is utilized all around the world. Geologists
use many methods to find geothermal resources. They can
study aerial photographs and geological maps, analyze the chemistry of
local water sources and the concentration of metals in the soil, and
measure variations in gravity and magnetic fields. Yet the only way
they can be sure there is a geothermal resource is by drilling wells to
measure underground temperatures. Below is are pictures
displaying plate boundaries and volcanoes which is another good
indication to where power plants may be successful.
The following represents the countries using Geothermal Energy
and
the number of Megawatts that their power plants produced in 1999.
United States: 2,850
Philippines:1,848
Italy: 768.5
Mexico: 743
Indonesia: 589.5
Japan: 530
New Zealand: 345
Iceland: 140
Costa Rica: 120
El Salvador: 105
Nicaragua: 70
China: 32
Turkey: 21
Russia: 11
For further information on theses countries or more information
about geothermal power plants visit: http://www.ormat.com/projects_geotherm.htm
This picture displays geothermal power plates around the world.
Many ancient peoples, including the Romans, Chinese,
and Native Americans, used hot mineral springs for bathing, cooking and
heating. Hot springs are still common, but using geothermal energy to
produce electricity is a relatively new industry. It was first
initiated by a group of Italians who built an electric generator in
1904 in Tuscany Italy, was a place where natural steem was erupting
from the earth. However the first attempt to develop geothermal power
in the
United States came in 1922 at the geysers steam field in northern
California. The project failed because the pipes and turbines of the
day could not stand up to the abrasion and corrosion of the particles
and impurities that were in the steam. Later, a small but successful
hydrothermal plant opened at the Geysers in 1960.
Electricity is now
produced from geothermal energy in 21 countries, including the United
States. The best known geothermal energy sources in the United States
are located in western states and Hawaii. Some moderately hot
geothermal resources also exist in the Dakotas, along the Atlantic
coast, and in Arkansas and Texas. The United States generates more
geothermal electricity than any other country, but the amount of
electricity it produces is barely 1 percent of electricity produced in
United States. Only four states have geothermal power plants,
California leads with 33 geothermal powerplants, Nevada has 13, Hawaii
and Utah each have one. In 2001 California also contained 83 leases and
104,633 acres underlease. It generates 4.3 billion kWh and $14,303,308
total revenue. Since Feb. 2008 PG&E is seeking approval for a 175
Megawatt geothermal power purchasing with Calpine Corporation
Iceland is the only country which uses two natural
and renewable resources for almost it's entire energy needs. This
includes geothermal and hydropower. Geothermal energy is one of
Iceland's greatest resources, and it has been used there for over 60
years. Because of this, central heating and warm water is very cheep.
89-95% of all the houses in Iceland are heated this way, and geothermal
heating has many other uses there aswell.
The following shows MW of geothermal energy used in different cities
around the world ranging high and low.
Zunil, Guatemala: 24 MW
São Miguel, Açores Islands, Portugal: 14 MW
Leyte, The Philippines: 125 MW
Olkaria, Kenya: 100 MW
Nagqu, Tibet, P.R. of China: 1.0 MW
Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland: 9.1 MW
For more information of cities and geothermal energy visit:
http://www.ormat.com/projects_geotherm.htm
Geothermal powerplant in Iceland
http://iceland.ednet.ns.ca/images/Energy%20Plant.JPG