Geothermal R&D Funding Excluded from Presidential FY08 Budget

[jpak]

http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/story?id=47344

The Geothermal Energy Association (GEA) applauded the Senate Energy Committee chairman for criticizing the lack of funding in the administration's FY08 budget for geothermal energy research.

According to the GEA, in the past year, there have been a number of reports released from leading education and renewable energy organizations on the tremendous pay-off for a continued federal commitment to develop and utilize the nation's vast and largely untapped geothermal resources.

"A recent study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has highlighted how new drilling technology could revitalize our approach to geothermal energy," U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico, who is chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. "I don't know why the Administration is giving this promising option short shrift."

The U.S. Department of Energy announced President Bush's FY08 budget requests yesterday for the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. The $1.24 billion allocated to renewable energy includes funding in the amount of $179 million for biomass; $148 million for the Solar America Initiative; $213 for hydrogen technology and fuel cell development; $176 million for vehicle efficiency technology; and $40 million for wind projects.

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[haymark]

1. If these new tecnologies are promising

then the greedy private sector will invest hoping to get a hefty profit later. Surelly they see the writing on the wall dooming the fossil fuel industries.

[jfkraus]

2. Nuclear Fusion

What about nuclear fusion? The country that perfects nuclear fusion will be the next super power. We could have perfected it for the $500 billion dollars wasted on Bush's war and then we wouldn't need any mideast oil! It provides unlimited electrical power with very limited radioactive waste.

[phantom power]

3. Geothermal energy is practically nuclear energy :-)

Penguins is practically chickens!

[kestrel91316]

4. Doesn't this fascist hypocrite have geothermal at the ranch????

I guess now that he's got HIS, he doesn't care about seeing to it that research IMPROVES it.................

One more reason the SOB is suffering from a guillotine deficiency.

[Porcupine]

5. Geo-exchange actually.

Which could be installed across the U.S. greatly relieving peak loads on power plants in both extreme-heat and extreme cold events. Geo-exchange installations can be combined with simple solar panels to provide extra heat in winter or to radiate excess heat at night in hot climates.

Bush's texas ranch has this system so that it can be comfortable if it ever has to go into bunker mode. He also has solar panels and a diesel generator so that the whole place is operable without interuption off grid.

[Dead_Parrot]

6. Not a problem...

...Iceland are miles ahead of the US anyway. Just save some money up and buy it from them...