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A Journey from the Center of the Earth:
Geothermal Energy Technologies
Thursday, May 22, 2003
2:00 -3:30 pm, 1539 Longworth House Office Building
The
House and Senate Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucuses,
the Sustainable Energy Coalition, and the Environmental and Energy
Study Institute (EESI) invite you to a Congressional briefing on
geothermal energy technologies and resource potential in the United
States and worldwide. Geothermal energy technologies use heat from
deep within the Earth to produce some of the cleanest and most
reliable electricity available today. Geothermal technologies are
also used in direct-heat applications that provide energy for homes,
buildings, farms, and commercial processes. Despite these
widespread uses, geothermal resources in the United States, and
throughout the world, are largely untapped. With continued advances
in technology and the right sets of policies, geothermal energy
could be a central part of a worldwide clean energy revolution.
Showcasing this technology and its future potential will be the
following panelists:
Briefing
Panel:
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Jonathan Weisgall,
Vice President, Mid-American Energy Holdings/CalEnergy Corporation
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John Garrison,
International Policy Director, Business Council for Sustainable
Energy
Presentation
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Jeff Hulen,
Senior Geologist, Energy and
Geoscience Institute, Univ. of Utah
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Dr. Allan Jelacic,
Office of Geothermal
Energy, US Department of Energy
Presentation
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Karl Gawell,
Executive Director, Geothermal Energy Association
Presentation
Geothermal energy is a naturally
occurring clean energy source. The first evidence of its use date
from roughly 10,000 years ago. From Ancient Greece to the Ming
Dynasty of China, geothermal resources have been used for bathing,
cooking, heating, and other purposes. In the United States,
geothermal energy has been used commercially for over a century, and
today 26 states use their geothermal resources for heating or
electric power purposes. There are some 17 district heating systems,
38 greenhouse complexes, 28 fish farms, 12 industrial plants, 218
spas that use geothermal waters to provide heat, and nearly 70
geothermal power plants. But it could do much more. In Iceland,
for example, 90 percent of all buildings are heated with piped-in
geothermal waters and 10% of their total electricity is produced
from geothermal power plants.
The
panelists will discuss the energy production potential of our
geothermal resources, the latest market and technology developments
in the US and around the world, and how federal programs and
policies can overcome the barriers to achieving the full potential
of this underutilized renewable resource.
This briefing is open to the public
and no reservations are required. For more information about the
briefing, please contact JR Drabick at EESI at 202-662-1886 or
jrdrabick@eesi.org.
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