Geothermal Resource Growth

摘要

Time was when geothermal energy (long associated with erupting geysers and temperatures above 1,000 F) was considered a valuable source of renewable electricity in places where it was easily accessible (such as The Geysers in California) but otherwise rare and expensive to look for. New technology may change that. Geothermal heat can produce power at temperatures lower than you may typically find in your kitchen, let alone inside a power plant boiler. As a prime example: For more than two years, the Chena Hot Springs Resort in Alaska, powered by UTC Power's PureCycle geothermal power plant technology, has been drawing energy from the lowest temperature geothermal power source ever used in a commercial thermal power application, 165 F. In 2006, the Chena geothermal installation was selected renewable energy Project of the Year by Power Engineering magazines editors.