With interest growing in energy with a tiny carbon footprint, the Obama administration revived support for geothermal energy. Besides handing out more than $40 million a year from the Department of Energy, it is funding 123 demonstration projects in 38 states with stimulus funds. Projects include home heat pumps, power plants, drilling, rock fracturing, exploration and underground mapping.

"The goal of the department is to try to validate that a source of energy could be produced at an adequate price," said Jacques Beaudry-Losique, deputy assistant secretary for renewable energy. He expects results in two to three years.

The centerpiece is $25 million to AltaRock Energy, Inc., of Seattle and Sausalito, Calif., to demonstrate EGS can produce electricity economically and without producing earthquakes just outside the Newberry Craters National Monument in Central Oregon. Investors, Google among them, put in $60 million.

Earthquake concerns were mounting around AltaRock's EGS work at The Geysers when they shut it down over drilling problems before getting to the point of trying to fracture rocks, AltaRock CEO Don O'Shei said. They are developing a system to monitor quakes at Newberry.

"If EGS becomes economical, it will really be a game-changer," O'Shei said. "Even though it is relatively high risk in terms of the money to develop that kind of technology under the ground, it is very important."

While we strongly agree that Geothermal energy projects should be funded, especially over significantly poorer options like nuclear power, but we strongly recommend that more investment be funneled into developing the CLEM Geothermal Electric Generation concept. There is significantly less risk of harmful seismic activity, and the long-term benefits are much greater.

Also, easy access to near-surface hot rocks is not a factor, so the potential for suitable locations is greatly increased. In fact, CLEM Geothermal works in almost every state in the US. Find out more about CLEM Geothermal Electrical Generation at AtlanticGeothermal.com