Hot Rocks and Geothermal Energy

With the price of oil too erratic to trend, we are turning more of our attention from petrol to other energy sources. Yes coal, natural gas, ethanol, wind, solar and water all have their benefits but what about hot rocks? According to the Washington Post, the Philippines has developed a way to harness geothermal energy from the hot rocks deep in the ground.

And this is not a new thing for the country. Ferdinand Marcos started the program back in the 1970s. Today about 28% of the electricity generated in the Philippines comes from this geothermal source. Notably, the Philippines ranks number two in the world for geothermal power capacity. Guess who is number 1? Yes - the United States.

But in 2006 George Bush cut funding for geothermal energy - reducing the budget from $100 million in the 1980s to $5 million. Research projects were dismantled and scientific experts had to find other jobs. It is not too late, although it might take years to recapture the momentum of the research and knowledge base.

Read more about geothermal energy here.