Posted on 03/01/2010 8:53:59 AM PST by Faketan
I’ve received a copy of a new regulation framework for geothermal energy in Europe. Handed to me by a colleague last week, whose associate led the drafting of the document.
Geothermal is still an infant industry. In many countries, governments lack even a basic mechanism for granting licenses on geothermal projects. There just isn't any legal-work around giving a company rights to hot groundwater.
The new framework attempts to address this and several other issues for European governments. Giving them suggestions on how to administer and foster geothermal projects within their borders.
Much of the document is straight-forward. The licensing process should be transparent and streamlined. Contract timelines should be set based on realistic estimates of the amount of work needed to assess a geothermal resource. Data from test wells should be centrally collected and used to hone future licensing and exploration.
But there are a few more interesting and unexpected suggestions made by the framework.
The document specifically recommends that geothermal licensing fees should come in lower than for hydrocarbon and mining licenses. In recognition of "the lower return on investment from geothermal energy systems... and the beneficial characteristics of geothermal energy as a low carbon, sustainable energy resource."
And the authors discourage government from imposing royalties on geothermal production, given that in most systems the bulk of produced water is re-injected. Meaning no loss of the resource. Full article at: Geothermal Industry
To me geothermal seems like the most promising of the potential renewable energy sources.
I am a gigantic fan of geothermal.
Why does Hawaii or any of the seismicly active Pacific Coast States need to import one drop of oil?
Tell us again how one can drive a car or truck on geothermal.
“Tell us again how one can drive a car or truck on geothermal.”
I guess you’d use the geothermal to generate electricity, then the electricity to get hydrogen, then the hydrogen to run the car.
Doesn’t have to be a fuel cell vehicle either. You can burn hydrogen in an internal combustion engine too.
Takes a very intense geothermal source to generate electricity.
We have had a geothermal heating cooling system for almost two years. It is wonderful! Our home stays a consistant temperature all year round. In the winter we used to freeze with our electric baseboard. The temperature in the house went up and down. The thermostat for our geothermal stays within a tenth of degree which means if the temp goes down by a tenth of a degree the system kicks on. This means that it runs more often than an oil or gas furnace does. The only power needed is for the fan and the pump that circulates the coolant out and back from the ground. I have to admit that I am still not sure how it works but it does!
The only problem is it’s pretty expensive and there aren’t many suitable resources. I’ve recently heard of techniques that will derive energy from Magma (but that’s pretty far off)
Electric cars!
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