QUICK READ: A geothermal power plant can provide reliable baseload power 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, rain or shine, day or night.
Renewable energy has been seeing growth all over the world the past several years, mainly due to the fact that it is much cleaner than fossil fuels, as well as the continuing decline in global pricing. In short, alternative energy is not only environmentally friendly, it has also become cheaper.
So what’s stopping the rest of the world from completely switching to renewable energy? Some have questioned the ability of alternative energy sources to provide baseload power. What is baseload power? Basically, it is the minimum amount of electricity that is needed to power the grid to meet the demand. It has been argued that because wind and solar power are dependent on the presence of wind and sunshine, they are intermittent or variable and they cannot provide the baseload power that is needed to ensure there is enough power in the grid all the time.
But that doesn’t mean that renewable energy cannot be a source of baseload power. In fact, a geothermal power plant can reliably produce baseload power—this is because it relies on the earth radiating heat from its core to produce energy, something that is constant and unwavering. Simply put, a geothermal power plant can consistently provide energy 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, rain or shine, day or night. On top of that, it has been shown that a geothermal power plant has a small environmental footprint, as well as one of the lowest greenhouse gas-emitting technologies, producing little to no greenhouse gases at all.
Geothermal power plants have other advantages, too. In general and in terms of gigawatt-hours produced, a geothermal power plant uses less space compared to other power plants. According to National Geographic, a geothermal plant uses the equivalent of about 1,046 square kilometers (km) to produce a gigawatt-hour. To produce the same amount, wind energy requires 3,458 square km, solar energy requires 8,384 square km, while coal plants require 9,433 square km.
Considering that geothermal is site-specific and not available everywhere in the world, the Philippines is blessed with an abundant source of geothermal energy since it is situated along the Pacific Ring of Fire. The country has been one of the world’s top three largest producers of geothermal energy for over 30 years now. Its rich resource and the country’s leading geothermal power generators have likewise paved the way for geothermal to be a viable, stable, and cost-competitive source of clean energy compared to other forms of non-renewable and dirty sources like coal.
Clean baseload power is already available here in the Philippines. It’s about time that we harness and utilize it to its full potential.
The Energy Development Corporation (EDC) is a pioneer in generating 100% clean, renewable, and reliable power as an electricity supplier in the Philippines for over 40 years. With power plants all over Visayas and Mindanao, the company is one of the biggest producers of geothermal energy in Asia and is expanding its reach in the international market, allowing it to offer customers affordable energy rates. EDC also strives to provide the best customer service it can to all its clients by having helpful salespeople and easy to understand contracts. Because of all of this, it is poised to become the premier supplier of electricity for the Philippines’ Green Energy Option Program. EDC takes its mission as a renewable energy provider seriously and goes beyond sustainability by investing in programs that enhance the environment and empower its partner communities, thereby fostering regenerative development. The company has also been working toward being carbon-neutral by improving its energy efficiency, as well as implementing various greening projects to ensure that its mission to provide future generations with a better life remains intact.