Thank you very much for publishing the story on geothermal energy in the April 7 issue of the Deseret News. As a clean and reliable source of energy for generating electricity and supplying heat for homes and greenhouses, geothermal energy has the potential to contribute much more to the world's energy supply than it currently does. Improvements in existing technology and development of new technology will allow economic expansion of worldwide geothermal use over the next several decades.
I would like to add to comments by David Eskelsen of Utah Power as stated in the article. In the United States, there are operating geothermal power plants in five states -- California, Nevada, Utah, Hawaii and New Mexico -- generating about 15 billion kilowatt-hours of power annually. This is enough electricity for the home needs of about 1.5 million Americans. Geothermal energy furnishes 6 percent of the electricity consumed in California and more than 25 percent of the island of Hawaii's electricity needs.Worldwide, geothermal energy generates electricity for the needs of about 50 million people in 20 countries, including Mexico, the Philippines, Indonesia, Japan, New Zealand, Kenya and others. An equal amount of geothermal energy is used to heat buildings, dry agricultural products, raise fish and a myriad of other uses. Articles such as the one published in the Deseret News help to inform people about the increasingly important role renewable energy must play in the future.
More information on geothermal energy can be obtained by your readers from our Web site at www.egi.utah.edu.
Phillip Michael Wright
Deputy director, Energy & Geoscience Institute
Salt Lake City