Future energy sources pushed

Development of alternative energy sources shows promise as projects start to move from laboratory to “out-in-the-world” trials, researchers at a conference said Wednesday.

Speakers at the Alternative Energy 2009 conference Wednesday at LSU outlined a number of emerging technologies with promise.

Geothermal energy a step closer for Western Australia

“The expected expenditure for geothermal exploration for the 36 permits in the Perth Basin is more than $560million in the next six years,” he said.

“This industry has the potential to provide clean energy to the State’s electricity network and offer innovative solutions for companies to meet their own power requirements.

“Harnessing geothermal energy, for heating and power use, is another feather in the State’s clean energy cap.”

Geothermal Energy – Its Types and How It Works

The rock underground is full of cracks and small pockets, and these can fill with water. Water that gets trapped in underground caves will get very hot, even hotter than boiling temperature, but it cannot boil because there is no place for steam to escape into the air. This water sometimes finds its way to the surface in the form of hot springs. Most of the hot water stays underground in pockets called geothermal reservoirs.

Raser Technologies Inc. has completed the first commercial geothermal power plant to be built in Utah in more than 20 years.

“With the major construction of Thermo completed, we will work over the next four to six weeks to complete the commissioning process and have the plant fully operational later this quarter.”

Energy production and quarterly review of economy

With regard to interest rates developments, average nominal interest rate on savings deposit and demand deposits remained at the preceding quarter level of 4.08 and 0.04. On the other hand, weighted time deposits rate on average increased to 5.18 from the 5.07 percent a year earlier. Average lending rate also remained at 11.5 percent. Meanwhile, yields on T-bills also tended to rise to 0.5 percent from 0.2 percent during the same period. Yet, real interest rates remained negative owing to higher inflation.