Betting on Steam

My latest cover story for the East Bay Express addresses the incredible promise of geothermal energy, and the significant roadblocks to achieving it. As I note in the story, there's enough heat in the ground to meet 75% or more of our nation's current energy needs with reliable, baseload electricity. The problem is getting to it. The US government is backing efforts to develop the next wave of geothermal energy, and major players including Calpine, which owns most of the plants at The Geysers in Sonoma, the world's largest complex of geothermal plants, are putting some of their best minds behind it. Even Google has invested $10 million in developing geothermal technologies to access this incredible resource. Will it work? Read on ...