Why is geothermal energy considered renewable

Why is geothermal energy renewable?

Drew L. Siler, PhD, Geothermal Geologist: "Geothermal energy is renewable because the Earth has retained a huge amount of the heat energy that was generated during formation of the planet. In addition, heat is continuously produced by decay of radioactive elements within the Earth.

What is geothermal energy?

Geothermal energy is heat within the earth. The word geothermal comes from the Greek words geo (earth) and therme (heat). Geothermal energy is a renewable energy source because heat is continuously produced inside the earth. People use geothermal heat for bathing, for heating buildings, and for generating electricity.

Can geothermal energy be depleted?

Can it be depleted? "Geothermal energy is renewable because the Earth has retained a huge amount of the heat energy that was generated during formation of the planet. In addition, heat is continuously produced by decay of radioactive elements within the Earth.

Is geothermal energy sustainable?

[ 47 ] Geothermal energy is considered to be sustainable because the heat extracted is so small compared to the Earth's heat content, which is approximately 100 billion times 2010 worldwide annual energy consumption. [ 4 ] Earth's heat flows are not in equilibrium; the planet is cooling on geologic timescales.

Is geothermal energy semi-renewable?

We categorize the geothermal resource as semi-renewable. Although the Earth’s heat is non-depletable, the use of geothermal energy must be carefully managed in each location to prevent water or steam depletion.

Are geothermal power plants a good investment?

Geothermal power plants have a high-capacity factor—typically 90% or higher—meaning that they can operate at maximum capacity nearly all the time. These factors mean that geothermal can balance intermittent sources of energy like wind and solar, making it a critical part of the national renewable energy mix.