Japan and United States agreed to collaborate on geothermal energy

On Saturday, Japan and the United States agreed to work together to develop geothermal energy, one of the most abundant resources on this volcanic island chain. The memorandum of understanding was signed on the side-lines of a meeting of the Group of Seven energy and environment ministers in the northern city of Hokkaido on Saturday. The famed hot springs of Japan reflect the country’s abundant geothermal activity, but the spas and resorts that surround them have slowed efforts to use that resource to generate electricity. Geothermal energy is recognized as a renewable energy technology that the United States and Japan can work together to advance, according to the pact signed by Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and Japan’s minister of economy, trade, and industry, Yasutoshi Nishimura. It encourages collaboration in research and development, information exchange, and the pursuit of geothermal projects in the United States, Japan, and other countries. It’s just one of several areas where the two countries plan to work together to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and reduce carbon emissions that contribute to climate change. According to a Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory estimate, increasing geothermal power could allow Japan to generate 90% of its electricity from renewable sources. According to a recent study, this would amount to a 92% reduction in the country’s greenhouse gas emissions. So far, Japan’s geothermal capacity has been underutilized: the country has dozens of small power plants dotted across the country that run on steaming hot springs, but they account for less than 1% of total power generation capacity. Both Japan and the United States want to export geothermal technology. Japanese companies are working together to build what is expected to be the world’s largest geothermal power station, with 320 gigatons of electricity, in Sumatra, Indonesia. According to the US Energy Information Administration, biomass and geothermal power contribute less than 1% of US generating capacity.