(VOVworld) - Thirty-six countries gave the official start to an initiative to promote geothermal energy in developing economies as a cleaner alternative to oil, gas and coal.

Global Geothermal Alliance Launched with Support of 36 Countries

The Global Geothermal Alliance, launched on the sidelines of the UN climate talks, targets a 600% increase in geothermal electricity production and a tripling of geothermal-derived heating by 2030. Geothermal production is currently growing a modest three to four percent per year and provides 12 gigawatts of electricity annually.
But this is just a fraction of its overall potential of 100 gigawatts, according to the industry. Only 24 out of 90 countries with geothermal potential actually use the resource. The Global Geothermal Alliance initiative was sketched out in September 2014 at a summit organized by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. Members include countries on thermal "hotspots" in Africa, Southeast Asia and Latin America, ranging from Kenya and Tanzania to Malaysia, the Philippines and Guatemala.