What makes geothermal energy renewable

Is geothermal energy a renewable resource?

Geothermal energy is heat that is generated within Earth. It is a renewable resource that can be harvested for human use. Loading ... Geothermal energy is heat that is generated within Earth. (Geo means “earth,” and thermal means “heat” in Greek.) It is a renewable resource that can be harvested for human use.

What is geothermal energy?

Geothermal energy is heat energy from the earth—geo (earth) + thermal (heat). Geothermal resources are reservoirs of hot water that exist or are human-made at varying temperatures and depths below the earth's surface.

How do geothermal power plants produce electricity?

Harvesting Geothermal Energy: Electricity In order to obtain enough energy to generate electricity, geothermal power plants rely on heat that exists a few kilometers below the surface of Earth. In some areas, the heat can naturally exist underground as pockets steam or hot water.

What causes geothermal energy?

The slow decay of radioactive particles in the earth's core, a process that happens in all rocks, produces geothermal energy. The earth has four major parts, or layers: An outer core of hot molten rock called magma that is about 1,500 miles thick.

Is geothermal energy depletable?

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. Note: Ground source heat pumps are often referred to as geothermal heat pumps, but they are an energy efficiency measure and do not use the geothermal resource.

What makes geothermal a good source of energy?

Several attributes make geothermal a beneficial source of energy, including: It's clean, offering energy that can be extracted without burning fossil fuels such as coal, gas, or oil. Using geothermal for electricity produces only about one-sixth of the carbon dioxide of a natural gas power plant, and little—if any—nitrous oxide or sulfur dioxide.