Environmental Impact of Geothermal Power Development and Utilization

Abstract

The development and utilization of geothermal resources to generate energy is not without its significant impacts upon the environment. Air pollution, thermal pollution, surface and groundwater pollution, soil erosion, land subsidence, increased seismicity, and disruption of existing land uses are all potential hazards associated with the development of a geothermal field. Geothermal operations and activities generally follow a sequence of exploration, testing, development, and production. Each phase has differing impacts on the environmental depending upon the potential and locality of the geothermal field, with the chief impacts occurring during the developmental period.