Geothermal Energy: The Answer to the Energy Problem?Summary: The world community is currently searching for new sources of energy that do not harm the environment, are cost-effective and can meet current and future energy demand. Geothermal energy is one of the promising alternatives to fossil fuels because it does not release any toxic emissions or greenhouse gases, its current cost is decreasing every year and it is a continuous source of energy. It is a clean and efficient energy source that has the capacity to provide the majority of energy used in the residential, commercial, industrial and electrical sectors. This article will examine the current and most efficient methods of mass producing geothermal energy, its cost effectiveness, the environmental impact of production, the amount of energy it can produce, and determine whether geothermal energy could be the answer to the global energy problem. Introduction: The United States faces a major problem: finding new sources of energy that would not release pollutants into the atmosphere. Research has been fruitful, with great development in solar and wind technologies, but they remain far too expensive to mass produce and both have sporadic energy outputs due to a strong dependence on weather conditions. Yet this research also resulted in the growth and success of geothermal energy, which provides a continuous flow of thermal energy from the Earth's interior. The field of geothermal energy is growing rapidly, making this renewable energy source a competitor among fossil fuels and a great hope for the future. Background: Geothermal energy is heat from the Earth. This thermal energy is either steam or hot water which is collected...... middle of paper...... thermal energy production January 16, 2008, Mark A. Taylor http:// www.geoenergy.org/publications/reports /Geothermal_Production_and_Development_Update_January_16_2008.html-The State of Geothermal Subsurface Technology Part1, November 2007, Mark A. Taylor -http://www.geo-energy.org/aboutGE/basics.asp-US Department Energy: Geothermal Power Plants http://www1.eere.energy.gov/geothermal/powerplants.html-Energy Information Association http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/sources/grothermal.html- United States Energy Consumption Data Tables http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/solar.renwables/page/rea_data/rea.pdf-Geothermal Power- Energy America -http://www.energyamericaini .com/index.php/geo_power/-National Geothermal Collaborative -Common Questions About Geothermal Energy http://www.geocollaborative.org/publications/common_questions_About_Geothermal_energy.pdf