Geothermal Energy

NPR had a bit about a new geothermal energy study performed by MIT which claims that "...mining the huge amounts of heat that reside as stored thermal energy in the Earth's hard rock crust could supply a substantial portion of the electricity the United States will need in the future, probably at competitive prices and with minimal environmental impact." So all we need to do is drill down a mile, inject water which is boiled by the earth's heat, and channel the steam back to turbines on the surface. Sounds great.

There are a few drawbacks, among them being a shortage of water in the parts of the country where the hot spots are most readily available (west), and the possibility that drilling into and fracturing rock may cause earthquakes like this one in Switzerland.

I honestly haven't heard of this type of geothermal energy before, but am familiar with the geothermal heating and cooling available in all sizes. I've been in a home equipped with a system that simply had the pipes laid underground throughout the yard. I've also seen them work very well with the pipe coils in nearby ponds or lakes. I commented on TreeHugger here about how geothermal deserves a lot more press.

Fort Wayne is actually home to a large geothermal company called WaterFurnace International, as well as some smaller businesses.

If you are in the market, please do a little research on geothermal for your heating and cooling. You will be amazed at what it has to offer.