Japan's Development of Geothermal Reserves Raises Questions About Emission Reductions

摘要

With centuries of tradition on their side, Japan's horde of naked bathers remain unmoved by the island nation's bid to tap a rich reserve of power equivalent to about 20 nuclear reactors. The resource-poor country, which last year spent 18.2 trillion yen ($174 billion) importing fossil fuels, has the world's third-largest geothermal reserves, representing an estimated 23 gigawatts of power, the International Energy Agency's geothermal division said June 21. Less than 600 megawatts, or about 2 percent, of that capacity is being used at the moment, according to the agency.