Abstract
The Earth’s core, which is as hot as the sun, contains a large amount of thermal energy insulated by impermeable rocks. This energy, totaling 15 million zetta joules, dwarfs traditional energy sources such as coal and gas. However, only a fraction of this energy has been utilized, with global geothermal operations contributing just 16 gigawatts (GW), or less than 0.5%, of renewable energy in 2021. Barriers such as high upfront costs, long revenue gestation periods, technical limitations, and social/administrative constraints impede its widespread adoption.
