Zero-emission geothermal power plant at Krafia, Iceland.

Lessons from Iceland

October / November 2008 By: David Yarnold Volume 6 Number 5

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I traveled to Iceland last summer to explore that nation's unique use of alternative energy. It was like journeying through time as well as space—€”as though we were going back a full century to a time when human impact on the environment wasn't so harsh.

And yet, while Iceland's otherworldly landscape evokes prehistoric times, the small island nation's energy use is impressively state-of-the-art. Iceland's commitment to harnessing renewable energy resources is absolutely inspirational. Their use of geothermal power is groundbreaking.

As much as 70 percent of Iceland's total energy (and 100 percent of its electricity and heat) comes from renewable energy. This is the highest percentage of any country in the world and puts Iceland on track to meet its goal of providing 100 percent of its energy needs from zero-emission renewable energy sources before mid-century.

To complete its mission, Iceland plans to use geothermal electricity to split hydrogen from water and use hydrogen fuel cells for its fishing fleets and transportation sector, the last industries in Iceland still using fossil fuels.
Iceland's transition from imported fossil fuels while maintaining a modern, growing economy shows what's possible here in the U.S. if our leaders take action.

It's true that Iceland's geography and geology is very different from America's. Iceland is a small island in the middle of the Atlantic, sitting atop the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. It is home to hundreds of volcanoes and hot springs, which bless its population with rich geothermal and hydroelectric resources.

But America is similarly blessed. In the U.S., the Earth's interior reaches temperatures greater than 4,000 degrees Centrigrade (>7,200 degrees Fahrenheit), and this geothermal energy flows continuously to the surface. A 2006 National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) study by Bruce D. Green and R. Gerald Nix concludes that domestic geothermal resources "are equivalent to a 30,000-year energy supply at our current rate in the United States." According to the study, geothermal has not reached its full potential here because of various issues, including "historically low natural gas prices and public policies" that affect its economic competitiveness."

In the U.S. most geothermal development has so far taken place in the West.
That's largely because, if you draw a line on the map from Texas to North Dakota, nearly every state west of the line has reachable sources with temperatures of at least 200 degrees Fahrenheit. This is the minimal temperature at which water can be heated to drive turbines, the usual method of generating geothermal power.

But new Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) technology is capable of creating energy from sites that are hot enough but not otherwise economical for lack of water and/or permeability. A 2006 study from MIT calculates that developing EGS could generate 100 gigawatts of electricity in the U.S. by 2050. That's enough energy to power 50 million homes. In America, the MIT study concludes, "none of the known technical and economic barriers limiting widespread development of EGS as a domestic energy source are considered insurmountable."

And, in fact, all of U.S. soil is suitable for another use —€”geothermal heat pumps-—€”which transfer heat from the ground to homes in the winter and vice versa in the summer. Currently, we use less than 1 percent of this potential geothermal resource, estimated at more than a million megawatts. By contrast Iceland heats 85 percent of its homes by this method.

From established giants to startups, American business is beginning to see the possibilities. On its web site, for example, Chevron announces it is "the world's largest producer of geothermal energy," accounting for more than half of all privately developed power. However, the operations that produce this power are located in Indonesia and the Phillippines.

Other major U.S. players include Ormat, Calpine Corp., Enel North America, Caithness/COC, California Energy and Terra-Gen Power. Even Google, the forward-looking computer company, this year announced through its philanthropic arm, Google.org, $10 million in investments and grants in EGS technology. Google's website put it this way, "The ability to produce electricity from geothermal energy has been thought exclusive to locations such as California and Iceland. However EGS could allow us to harness the heat within the earth almost anywhere."

My wife and daughter joined me for a visit to Iceland's remote Northwest. There, our guide led us across rugged open lands to the very edge of a tall cliff overlooking the cold north Atlantic. We peered cautiously over the edge and were dazzled to see that the cliff was home to an incredible sea bird colony. I found I was mere inches from an Atlantic puffin, which gazed back at me with an expression of mild curiosity.

Iceland has taken care to protect its wildlife from exotic predators, so this puffin with its absurdly oversized and colorful beak knew it had no reason to fear me. We looked at each other. Next to me, my 12-year-old daughter Nicole was breathless with wonder.

I'd wanted Nicole to see an unspoiled part of the world—€”and here we were. That one cliff was a reminder of all that we've already lost due to carelessness and environmental abuse, and, at the same time, it was a symbol of all that we can regain.

At that moment I was reminded once again—€”on a most personal level—€”why our work is so important and why it is so vital for America to follow Iceland's lead toward a clean, renewable energy future.

To get there, we need a national cap on global warming pollution that will enable Americans to make and save money by curbing these climate-changing emissions. This single step will unleash our clean energy inventors and spur technological innovation to take advantage, like Iceland, of geothermal and other renewable sources.

David Yarnold is Executive Director of Environmental Defense Fund.