White House seeks to cut geothermal research funds - Reuters

[Eugene]

White House seeks to cut geothermal research funds

By Bernie Woodall

Tue Mar 13, 1:23 PM ET

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The Bush administration wants to eliminate federal
support for geothermal power just as many U.S. states are looking to cut
greenhouse gas emissions and raise renewable power output.

The move has angered scientists who say there is enough hot water
underground to meet all U.S. electricity needs without greenhouse gas
emissions.

"The Department of Energy has not requested funds for geothermal research
in our fiscal-year 2008 budget," said Christina Kielich, a spokeswoman for
the Department of Energy. "Geothermal is a mature technology. Our focus is
on breakthrough energy research and development."

The administration of George W. Bush has made renewable energy a priority
as it seeks to wean the United States off foreign oil, but it emphasizes
use of biofuels like ethanol and biodiesel for vehicles and nuclear research
for electricity.

-snip-

Full article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070313/pl_nm/usa_geothermal_funding_dc

[CrazyOrangeCat]

1. wouldn't want to harm those fragile oil companies . . .

[GreenPartyVoter]

5. Indeed

[Double T]

2. 'bush has made renewable energy a priority'................

ONLY when his great scientific mind approves of IT. Must not be a lot of money to be made in hot water.

[rkc3]

3. Have you ever seen the cost of installing one of these systems?

These geothermal systems aren't competitive for the average homeowner - subsidies or tax incentives for ownership would go a long way to bringing costs down and bringing them into the mainstream.

Having said that - there is a ton of money for companies who can figure out a way to do it more cost-effectively.

[Porcupine]

4. Apples and Oranges....

Actually more like apples and roses; related but not the same beast at all.

The geothermal systems discussed in the article are either steam geothermal like at The Geysers energy project in Calistoga CA. or dry rock geothermal. Both of these systems use the heat in the earth to run steam turbines.

Home systems are geo-exchange systems where heat is pumped from the stable rock or soil substrate below ground in winter for residential heating and pumped back into the ground in summer to cool the house. These systems have higher installation costs but more than repay their owners with reduced utility costs over the next ten years.

[rkc3]

6. Gotcha.

But still - we could go along way to making this country cleaner and less dependent on furriners for our energy needs if the price of geo-exchange systems dropped.