by John Traveler

Created on: August 09, 2010   Last Updated: August 11, 2010

Virtually any form of power generation comes with some degree of risk to the environment. With respect to carbon based fuels (oil, gas and coal), the recent British Petroleum (BP) disaster in the Gulf of Mexico illuminates the potential for environmental catastrophe with perspicuous clarity. Three Mile Island and Chernobyl are more distant reminders of the potential environmental threat posed by nuclear power. Even the “green energy” resource biomass, is consuming vegetation in our national forests faster than nature can replenish it.

The foregoing mentioned energy resources represent about 98 percent of current world power production. (Wikipedia, World Power Statistic) Of the remaining two percent, solar thermal, wind, bio-fuels and geothermal, all have raised some concerns with respect to environmental effects. Of these, geothermal energy, representing only .2% of world power production, apparently comes with some environmental risks as well, or at least concerns have been alleged by environmental advocacy groups. Does geothermal energy, a naturally occurring resource, really pose any environmental threat that should raise concern?

Consider the worlds first and largest geothermal power generation facility at The Geysers in Northern California, in continuous operation since 1960 and currently producing 725 megawatts of electricity 24 hours a day, every day of the year. “The Geysers is the winner of the California Department of Conservation (DOC) award for its ongoing commitment to safety and the environment and its excellence in lease maintenance.” (Calpine: The Geysers 9th consecutive environmental award ) But Calpine is the corporation which operates 18 of the 22 power generators at The Geysers. Taking their word for it might be no more valid than information coming from BP’s public relations department with respect to the Gulf oil spill.

A subsequent research effort to turn up any environmental disasters incident to geothermal power at the geysers proved fruitless. This is not to say that the facility has no environmental impact. Hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide gasses, present in dry steam wells and generated deep within the Earth, are unquestionably atmospheric pollutants, but at The Geysers the problem has been eliminated through installation of scrubbers to remove the unwanted gasses. Furthermore, The Geysers installation is actually helping to reduce another form of pollution.

When natural ground water becomes depleted

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