MIT-led study finds geothermal energy potential untapped

A study led by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has concluded that geothermal energy is a largely untapped resource for electricity in the United States.

The study (PDF), issued Monday, was sponsored by the Department of Energy and included the participation of 18 experts in geology, drilling and energy.

With geothermal energy, or "heat mining," electricity is generated from hot rocks thousands of feet beneath the Earth's surface. Water is flowed into drilled wells, creating a heat exchanger that can produce hot water or steam to run electrical generators on the surface, according to MIT.

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