Next-gen geothermal could bring clean power to much more of the planet

In 1904, the Italian town of Larderello saw the world’s first trickle of electrical power generated from the heat of the Earth. It was enough to make five lightbulbs glow. By 1913, Larderello had a full-scale plant producing up to 250 kilowatts of electricity, using steam from natural hydrothermal vents to drive a turbine connected to a generator. Yet, despite this pioneering success over 100 years ago, geothermal power has remained a niche endeavor, largely because it’s limited to volcanic areas where natural steam or hot water is readily available. Today, it amounts to only about 0.5% of global electricity generation.