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RE: Geothermal – The Most Overlooked Alternative Energy
Don't forget about the earth quake problem. St. Gallen in Switzerland is just one example of geothermal installations that cause earth quakes. I guess it depends on what material the underground is made of and how deep and how many boreholes there are, but I'd say there is a zero chance to use this technology in densely populated areas, because the risk is just too high.
I agree that tapping into deep geothermal reserves near a heavily populated city would carry a fairly large risk. However, shallow geothermal has little to no risk of triggering any earthquakes as the system works on the concept of seasonal heat storage. This can be applied in many major cities just as easily and safely as it can be applied rurally and does not necessarily need boreholes.