Geothermal Energy in Central America: Under the Volcano

• Main Author: Hymans, Jacques E. C.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge. MA, Estados Unidos : Harvard University. 2016
• Subjects: Iceland
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10469/8271

When we think about global technology leaders, Central America does not typically come to mind. But Central American countries have indeed been in the vanguard in their use of geothermal energy: an abundant, constant, efficient, renewable and low-carbon source of electric power. Twenty-four percent of El Salvador’s electricity comes from geothermal. That figure places it second out of all countries in the world in its level of reliance on this power source. (Iceland is tops.) Meanwhile, fifteen percent of Costa Rica’s electricity comes from geothermal, as does ten percent of Nicaragua’s and five percent of Guatemala’s. Compare those numbers with the worldwide figure of 0.3 percent. The basic reason for Central America’s geothermal energy riches can be summed up in one word: volcanoes.