The heat of the Earth’s core can be a powerful source of reliable energy.
Geothermal energy is a completely renewable resource that has almost no negative effects on the environment. We have barely begun to tap this beneficial resource.
The Earth’s inner core is as hot as the surface of the sun. As that heat radiates, it heats the rocks and water just beneath the Earth’s surface, and the steam that process generates can be used to generate heat and electricity. The harnessing of geothermal energy has almost no negative effects on the environment, and the resources are reliably available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
The United States leads the world in geothermal electricity capacity and generation, with most of the infrastructure to capture that power installed in western states and Hawaii. California is the home to the largest dry steam field in the world, which has been producing electricity since 1960. The United States has tapped less than 0.6 percent of its available geothermal electricity resources.