Paper Example on Geothermal Energy

Introduction

Fossil fuels are the most common source of fuel in the USA and the world at large. However, the use of fossil fuels is discouraged due to the emission of greenhouse gases which contribute to global warming. When averting such effects, most countries have adopted the use of renewable sources of energy. Geothermal energy is one of the promising sources of power in the USA due to its availability in most states. Although the government has advocated its use, the USA has a significant energy demand which necessitates the presence of a large variety of energy sources. In this case, geothermal power cannot take the USA and the world beyond the current fossil fuel era but can only aid in the diversification of energy. The diversification can aid in the reduction of the reliance of the fossil fuels whose demand is expected to rise in the future.

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Advantages and Disadvantages of Geothermal Energy

Geothermal power is mostly preferred as it bears a lot of advantages compared to other sources of energy. One of the advantages is that Geothermal systems have few moving parts which are also sheltered in buildings (Lloyd, 2011). Such storage options minimize the exposure to adverse climatic conditions reducing maintenance schemes and contributing to their affordability. Another advantage is that geothermal systems are readily available in the USA. The USA has power plants in Utah, Nevada, and California and more are being installed proving its viability (Hicks & Nelder, 2008). Also, geothermal power is a renewable source of energy as noted by Hicks and Nelder (2008). Fossil fuels face depletion after the decline of the oil deposits in the earth crusts as they do not undergo continuous production. Unlike fossil fuels, Geothermal power emanates from the earth crust in the form of heat which heats water which is tapped to produce geothermal energy.

However, they are cons associated with geothermal energy that hinder its adoption. One of the disadvantages is that it destroys the animal habitats (Mongillo & Zierdt-Warshaw, 2000). It should be noted that geothermal power involves the use of large pipes which transport the water from the wells to the station. The wells and the stations might be separated by a considerable distance which necessitates the use of longer pipes. Such pipes may pass through animal habitats leading to their migration of death. Another disadvantage is the emission of greenhouse gases. Although geothermal energy is renewable, it is associated with the emission of carbon dioxide which contributes to global warming (DiPippo, 2012). Also, geothermal power is associated with surface instability as the construction of power plants can lead to earthquakes (Lehr, Keeley, & Kingery, 2016). Another disadvantage is that geothermal plants are expensive to install (Legrand, Sloan, & Chen, 2009). Such a case will lead to a scenario where consumers are highly charged to cater for the expenses.

The Standalone Ability of Geothermal Energy

The USA incorporates the use of non-renewable, renewable, secondary and primary sources of energy to meet its energy demands. As of 2017, there were five main sectors which had the highest energy consumption. Electric power sector topped the list with 38.1 % followed by the transportation sector with 28.8%. The other energy consuming areas include industrial, residential and commercial sectors with 22.4%, 6.2% and 4.5% respectively (U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2018). However, the fuel use pattern varies from one industry to another. For example, petroleum offers a 92 % of total energy used in the transport sector but assumes a low percentage of 1 % in the generation of electricity (U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2018). The energy consumption predictions in 2035 show that renewables will be utilized at 16%, nuclear energy at 9 %, oil at 32%, natural gas at 26%, and coal at 20% (U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2016). These statistics infer that petroleum will still hold a more considerable demand in the future casting doubts in the success of the efforts made to substitute fossil fuels with renewable energy.

The future consumption for energy in the global scene is projected to grow by twenty-eight percent by 2040 (Houston, 2017). Most of the demand is predicted in developing countries in Africa, and Asia as their energy demand is projected at 71 % whereas the developed countries will have a less demand growth of 18 % (Eule, 2016). Fossils fuels are expected to dominate the future demand as its use will grow by thirty-eight percent by 2040, although natural gas will assume a more significant increase in demand (Eule, 2016). Renewable energies are expected to assume a higher energy demand of about sixteen percent in 2040 (Eule, 2016). From this information, it is evident that the USA and the world will still depend on the current sources of energy such as fossil fuels. Therefore, geothermal power cannot act as standalone energy but can be used to minimize the use of fossil fuels.

Energy Diversification Capability of Geothermal Power

Although geothermal energy cannot act as standalone energy in the USA and globally, it can serve as an option for energy diversification. Energy diversification incorporates the use of a range of sources of energy to minimize dependence on a particular energy source. In this scenario, geothermal energy is an appropriate candidate to eradicate the reliance of fossil fuels in the USA. It should be noted that fossils fuels such as petroleum face a higher possibility for depletion (Dodson, Sipe, & Nelson, 2017). Such occurrences bear adverse effects on the US production sector as it is highly dependent on fossil fuels. Investing in more geothermal power plants will provide alternative energy for the production sector to minimize the effects of a sudden decline in oil production. Also, concentrating on geothermal energy will be a way of covering up disruptions which are witnessed in the current energy sources. For example, shortages in the production of coal can interrupt the production of electricity. Thus, the US government should consider geothermal energy as a scheme to remediate disruptions which may occur during energy production.

The current and future production of geothermal power in the USA is insufficient to act as alternative energy in the US. In this case, the government should also invest in solar energy which is also renewable energy. Solar power in the USA is achieved using power plants and local production with the use of photovoltaics. In 2018, the US recorded over fifty gigawatts of photovoltaic capacity as noted by Solar Energy Industries Association (2018). Such data shows that the USA has an extensive capability of producing solar power which will aid in the diversification of power and minimize the dependence of fossil fuels.

Conclusion

Fossil fuels have dominated the energy market in the USA and the world at large. From statistics, the energy demand in the world is expected to grow with the fossil fuels exhibiting the highest demand. Geothermal energy is one of the forms of renewable energy seen as an alternative energy source to free the USA and the rest of the world from oil dependency. It has advantages such as being a renewable source and exhibiting a high availability in the USA. However, it is associated with disadvantages such as causing earthquakes and destroying habitats. Although geothermal energy is expected to grow, it cannot meet the projected demand. In this case, the government should consider widening its focus to support the growth of solar power which together with geothermal power can lead to a perfect energy diversification scheme.

References

DiPippo, R. (2012). Geothermal power plants: Principles, applications, case studies, and environmental impact. Amsterdam: Butterworth-Heinemann.

Dodson, J., Sipe, N., & Nelson, A. (2017). Planning after petroleum: Preparing cities for the age beyond oil. Abingdon: Routledge.

Eule, S. (2016, May 18). Future global energy demand: Up, Up, and away! Retrieved from https://www.globalenergyinstitute.org/future-global-energy-demand-and-away.

Hicks, B., & Nelder, C. (2008). Profit from the peak: The end of oil and the greatest investment event of the century. Hoboken, N.J: J. Wiley & Sons.

Houston. (2017, Sept 14). EIA: World energy consumption to increase by 28% by 2040. Retrieved from https://www.ogj.com/articles/2017/09/eia-world-energy-consumption-to-increase-28-by-2040.html.

Legrand, W., Sloan, P., & Chen, J. (2009). Sustainability in the hospitality 2nd ed: Principles of sustainable operations. New York: Routledge.

Lehr, J. H., Keeley, J. W., & Kingery, T. B. (2016). Encyclopedia of alternative energy and shale gas. New Jersey: Wiley.

Lloyd, D. B. (2011). The smart guide to geothermal: How to harvest Earth's free energy for heating & cooling. Masonville, CO: PixyJack Press.

Mongillo, J., & Zierdt-Warshaw, L. (2000). Encyclopedia of environmental science. Phoenix: Oryx Press.

Solar Energy Industries Association. (2018, sept. 13). U.S. Solar market insight. Retrieved from https://www.seia.org/us-solar-market-insight.

U.S. Energy information administration. (2016). US EIA energy review monthly. Retrieved from https://www.eia.gov/totalenergy/data/monthly/archive/00351606.pdf.

U.S. Energy Information Administration. (2018, May 16). The United States uses a mix of energy sources. Retrieved from https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/?page=us_energy_home.