The United States has a renewable, 24/7 clean energy resource right beneath its feet that can be used for electricity generation and direct heating and cooling. Geothermal energy is harnessed in geothermal power plants that run consistently no matter the weather conditions that typically restrict the use of solar or wind power. The lifecycle emissions of modern closed-loop geothermal plants are four times less than emissions from solar photovoltaic (PV) plants and six to 20 times less than natural gas, the U.S. Department of Energy says. Despite these low-emission and 24/7 generation benefits, geothermal energy in the United States is an oft-overlooked resource by legislators and policy makers. At the same time, research suggests that geothermal energy could be crucial to meeting the U.S. electricity needs with renewable energy only, one day, Grist’s Nathanael Johnson writes . Yet, experts, think-tanks, and the U.S. government admit that there are both […]