Geothermal energy, a clean, continuous energy source accessible in many locations, has been slow to catch on. Nearly 2,000 years ago, the Romans made extensive use of geothermal energy — heat from the Earth — including at the spa complex at present-day Bath, England. Electricity was first produced from geothermal sources in the early 1900s in Italy. In the United States, the Geysers geothermal fie...
The article constructs a narrative of geothermal as a promising but currently underutilized energy source, subtly emphasizing a need for “next-generation” solutions to unlock its full potential. This framing relies heavily on presenting data points – the Roman history, Italian electricity production, the Californian Geysers – to establish a sense of established precedent, creating an implicit expectation of future growth. The emphasis on “next-generation” implicitly suggests a problem with curre...