| The Germans have really taken off when it comes | | | | will additionally have as a major focal point |
| to renewable fuel sources, and have become one of | | | | technological innovations for converting heavy |
| the major players in the alternative energy game. | | | | hydrocarbons into pollution-free and highly efficient |
| Under the aegis of the nation's electricity feed laws, | | | | fuels. |
| the German people set a world record in 2006 by | | | | Also in the US, the battle rages on between |
| investing over $10 billion (US) in research, | | | | Congress and the Geothermal Energy Association |
| development, and implementation of wind turbines, | | | | (GEA). The GEA's Executive Director Karl Gawell has |
| biogas power plants, and solar collection cells. | | | | recently written to the Congress and the |
| Germany's “feed laws” permit the German | | | | Department of Energy, the only way to ensure that |
| homeowners to connect to an electrical grid through | | | | DOE and OMB do not simply revert to their irrational |
| some source of renewable energy and then sell back | | | | insistence on terminating the geothermal research |
| to the power company any excess energy produced | | | | program is to schedule a congressional hearing |
| at retail prices. This economic incentive has catapulted | | | | specifically on geothermal energy, its potential, and |
| Germany into the number-one position among all | | | | the role of federal research. Furthermore, Gawell |
| nations with regards to the number of operational | | | | goes on to say that recent studies by the National |
| solar arrays, biogas plants, and wind turbines. The | | | | Research Council, the Western Governors' |
| 50-terawatt hours of electricity produced by these | | | | Association Clean Energy Task Force and the |
| renewable energy sources account for 10% of all of | | | | Massachusetts Institute of Technology all support |
| Germany's energy production per year. In 2006 alone, | | | | expanding geothermal research funding to develop |
| Germany installed 100,000 solar energy collection | | | | the technology necessary to utilize this vast, |
| systems. | | | | untapped domestic renewable energy resource. |
| Over in the US, the BP corporation has established an | | | | Supporters of geothermal energy, such as this writer, |
| Energy Biosciences Institute (EBI) to spearhead | | | | are amazed at the minuscule amount of awareness |
| extensive new research and development efforts | | | | that the public has about the huge benefits that |
| into clean burning renewable energy sources, most | | | | research and development of the renewable |
| prominently biofuels for ground vehicles. BP's | | | | alternative energy source would provide the US, both |
| investment comes to $50 million (US) per year over | | | | practically and economically. Geothermal energy is |
| the course of the next decade. This EBI will be | | | | already less expensive to produce in terms of |
| physically located at the University of Illinois | | | | kilowatt-hours than the coal that the US keeps |
| Urbana-Champaign. The University is in partnership | | | | mining. Geothermal energy is readily available, sitting |
| with BP, and it will be responsible for research and | | | | just a few miles below our feet and easily accessible |
| development of new biofuel crops, biofuel-delivering | | | | through drilling. One company, Ormat, which is the |
| agricultural systems, and machines to produce | | | | third largest geothermal energy producer in the US |
| renewable fuels in liquid form for automobile | | | | and has plants in several different nations, is already |
| consumption. The University will especially spearhead | | | | a billion-dollar-per-year business—geothermal |
| efforts in the field of genetic engineering with regard | | | | energy is certainly economically viable. |
| to creating the more advanced biofuel crops. The EBI | | | | |