Conservation news

Flores’ geothermal ambitions collide with justice, culture & local resistance

Basten Gokkon — 16 Jan 2026 08:50:08 +0000

When Indonesia designated Flores a “geothermal island” in 2017, identifying up to 21 geothermal sites, the policy was framed as a cornerstone of the country’s renewable energy transition. Backed by international lenders and enshrined as a “national strategic project,” Flores was positioned as a global showcase for clean energy. Eight years later, key geothermal projects on the island remain suspended, derailed by sustained resistance from Manggarai communities who argue that the transition has come at the expense of justice, safety and cultural survival, found a study published Nov. 13 in the journal Environment and Planning E: Nature and Space. Locator map of Flores Island, East Nusa Tenggara. Image by Gunkarta via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0). Flores of East Nusa Tenggara province is a rugged and mountainous island where electricity access remains uneven. As of 2025, parts of the island were still not connected to the grid, which relies heavily on imported diesel and coal, both costly and polluting. Citing energy insecurity and the nearly 1 trillion rupiah ($59 million) spent annually on electricity subsidies, the government has argued that geothermal power could meet all of the island’s electricity needs. “Flores has become a uniquely distinctive case in Indonesia’s geothermal energy transition. It may even be unprecedented globally, as an entire island has been designated a “geothermal island,” with exploration occurring simultaneously across multiple sites,” Cypri Jehan Paju Dale, a social anthropologist with Kyoto University and University of Wisconsin-Madison who is a corresponding author of the study, told Mongabay in…This article was originally published on Mongabay

‘The bargain of the century’: An economist’s vision for expanding clean energy access in Africa

John Cannon — 26 Dec 2025 08:10:47 +0000

Many observers see industrialization as the key to boosting clean electricity access for people living in Africa and across the Global South. They argue that building up economies with industry will bring about the investments needed to upgrade the power grid and related infrastructure to provide power to the 600 million people in Africa who currently lack any electricity. But making sure the transition is fair means thinking about the coal workers who could lose their livelihoods and also about those who mine critical minerals essential for the renewable energy sector. The “just transition” toward renewable energy and away from fossil fuels got a boost at the November U.N. climate conference (COP30) in Brazil with the approval of the Belém Action Mechanism (BAM). The details of the BAM have yet to be sorted out, beyond a foundation of integrating existing endeavors toward low-carbon energy. But advocates applauded mentions of the rights of workers and Indigenous communities, as well as the inclusion of calls for more grants — as opposed to loans — to ease the transition. However, delegates failed to include a plan for phasing out oil, coal and gas. “The move to establish a just transition mechanism is positive and shows the power of civil society organising,” Friederike Strub, a climate finance campaigner at the Netherlands-based nonprofit Recourse, said in a statement. “But to make the just transition happen we need public finance backing, systemic economic reform, and a clear roadmap to end fossil fuels.” Even amid these signs…This article was originally published on Mongabay

For fossil fuel-dependent islands, ocean thermal energy offers a lifeline

Sean Mowbray — 05 Dec 2025 16:20:46 +0000

A small floating pilot device deployed off the Canary Islands could one day prove pivotal to unlocking clean energy for tropical island and coastal communities by harnessing seawater heat. At least, that’s the hope of the EU-funded project that’s using a system known as ocean thermal energy conversion, or OTEC. Experts are hot on OTEC, a century-old theoretical means of extracting energy from the oceans. In a closed-loop system, warm surface seawater passes through a heat exchanger to evaporate a working fluid, such as ammonia, which vaporizes to turn a turbine. Then, cold deep-ocean water is pumped up from a depth of around 750 meters (nearly 2,500 feet) as a coolant to return the gas to liquid form, completing the cycle. For the process to function, a temperature difference of 20° Celsius (36° Fahrenheit) or more is needed between surface and deep waters. “The potential for OTEC to provide power and other value-added streams is really high in the tropical and subtropical areas,” says Andrea Copping, a faculty fellow at the University of Washington in the U.S. “You really are talking about base load power, so 24/7 power, which is more than you can say, really, about pretty much any other renewable.” This is by no means a new technology or idea. OTEC was first conceived as a way to produce electricity in the 19th century. Fast forward to the 1970s and ’80s, and a host of tests were being performed. U.S. President Jimmy Carter pushed forward the idea of…This article was originally published on Mongabay

‘The perfect ingredients’: WRI Africa deputy director shares vision for the continent’s energy transition

John Cannon — 19 Nov 2025 16:32:14 +0000

The quest to bring energy to Africans who need it often centers on the relatable electrical needs that arise in the home: lighting, phone charging, and a connection to what’s going on in the broader world through a radio or a television. Indeed, 40% of the continent’s population — around 600 million people — don’t even have that basic level of access. Where power access does exist, it’s often not enough to support the more intensive needs of essential services such as schools, hospitals and water treatment facilities. At the 2025 U.N. climate conference, COP30, in Belém, Brazil, running Nov. 10-21, ensuring a “just energy transition” in Africa and elsewhere that lack access has been a central topic of discussion. The overall rise in atmospheric carbon stems largely from the burning of fossil fuels, which has propelled the growth of wealthy countries’ economies. By contrast, people from less-industrialized parts of the world have contributed little to climate change, yet are often the first to face its impacts, whether from droughts, rising sea levels or more intense storms. And without ready access to electricity, they’re often — quite literally — left in the dark. Key to facilitating a just transition for Africa will be greater investments in renewables to capitalize on the continent’s abundant wind, geothermal, hydro and solar resources, according to Rebekah Shirley, deputy director for Africa at the World Resources Institute (WRI). (Already, more than half of Africa’s energy consumption is met by renewable sources, such as solar and…This article was originally published on Mongabay

What does the just energy transition mean for Africa?

John Cannon — 10 Nov 2025 14:07:33 +0000

When two Mongabay reporters visited the village of Lukwangulo in the Democratic Republic of Congo, they encountered a reality that’s common in many parts of rural Africa: Families spend valuable time harvesting wood from forests for cooking, often their primary — and sometimes their only — source of energy. Some manage to pull together enough money for a solar panel that might charge a cellphone, power a radio and provide a little light for children to study by. But it’s typically not enough for the basic task of cooking. The stark contrast between this situation and the broader world that runs on that energy is readily apparent to those who currently have little to no access to it. “You come from the city — you have electricity, you have lighting. Why you and not us?” Mukalay Ngoyi, a leader from Lukwangulo, told Mongabay. “We’re human beings like you, and we need electricity too.” On Nov. 10, delegates to the U.N.’s annual climate conference, COP30, will meet in Belém, Brazil, to assess global progress toward addressing climate change by limiting carbon emissions. Key to drawing down those emissions and achieving the goal of keeping the global temperature rise well below 2° Celsius (3.6° Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels is how we meet growing energy demand, both around the globe and in places like Lukwangulo. But most community leaders won’t be in Belém, instead relying on others to make the case for a “just” energy transition. The “just” concept “means leaving no one…This article was originally published on Mongabay

Indonesia aims to redraw UNESCO site boundaries to allow geothermal projects

Hans Nicholas Jong — 30 Sep 2025 09:53:37 +0000

JAKARTA — Indonesia is seeking to redraw the boundaries of a UNESCO World Heritage rainforest to pave the way for geothermal projects — part of its renewable energy push but a move environmentalists warn could devastate biodiversity and tarnish the country’s green reputation. The Ministry of Forestry has proposed excluding two degraded areas — Suoh and Sekincau in Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park, Lampung province — from the Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra (TRHS). The TRHS is a 2.5 million-hectare (6.2 million-acre) site that also spans Gunung Leuser and Kerinci Seblat national parks, making it one of the largest conservation areas in Southeast Asia and the last habitat for many endangered animals. Officials say the boundary change would free up some of the site’s vast geothermal potential, estimated at 5 gigawatts (GW), while maintaining TRHS’s Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) required by UNESCO. “TRHS sites cannot [be used for geothermal], but we know there is huge potential there. It would be a pity not to make use of it,” said Satyawan Pudyatmoko, the ministry’s director-general of ecosystem conservation, as quoted by local media Sept. 18. The government submitted the proposal in November 2023, with a decision expected in 2027. Location of Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra (TRHS), UNESCO 2017 A clash of definitions As a country that heavily relies on coal for its power generation, Indonesia has pledged to transition away from fossil fuels and scale up renewable energy as part of its climate commitments under the Paris Agreement. Geothermal, which…This article was originally published on Mongabay

Death of activist critical of geothermal project raises alarm in Indonesia

Hans Nicholas Jong — 10 Sep 2025 11:51:17 +0000

JAKARTA — The mysterious death of Vian Ruma, a 30-year-old activist opposing a geothermal project on Flores Island, has intensified calls for stronger protection of environmental defenders in Indonesia, where attacks against them have more than doubled this year. Vian was found dead in Nagekeo district on Sept. 5, hanging from a rafter inside a bamboo hut. His family allege foul play, noting that his body was reportedly hanging from a shoelace, and his feet were in contact with the floor. They say this undermines the notion that he died from hanging. Eda Tukan, a close friend, said Vian was one of the local youths courageous enough to fight against the geothermal project on Flores Island. The project has been widely opposed, including by the local Catholic archdiocese. “This week we had planned another action to continue voicing opposition to the geothermal project. Vian was one of the driving forces,” Eda said as quoted by Indonesian daily Kompas. “Sadly, he is no longer with us.” The Nagekeo district police chief, Rachmad Muchamad Salili, said police are currently investigating the cause of Vian Ruma’s death. “We are still conducting a deeper investigation, we still cannot confirm [the cause of death],” he said as quoted by local news outlet. The government designated Flores, in East Nusa Tenggara province, a “geothermal island” in 2017, with the potential to generate nearly 1,000 megawatts of clean electricity thanks to the high level of seismic activity in the region. But communities have resisted the developments, citing…This article was originally published on Mongabay

Church pressure spurs scrutiny of Indonesian geothermal projects

Ebed de Rosary — 23 Apr 2025 02:43:58 +0000

ENDE, Indonesia — The governor of one Indonesia’s poorest provinces said it would pause development of new geothermal energy projects on the island of Flores, following an intervention by the Catholic Church. On April 4, East Nusa Tenggara Governor Emanuel Melkiades Laka Lena said his administration would review all ongoing geothermal exploration on Flores Island, home to more than a third of the province’s population of 5.6 million. His statement came shortly after he met with Archbishop Paulus Budi Kleden, who leads the Achrdiocese of Ende, representing the Catholic dioceses from Bali to Flores. From March 10-13, six bishops under the archdiocese issued a Lenten pastoral letter, a missive written ahead of the 40-day period leading up to Easter. “We firmly reject the development of the Flores and Lembata geothermal projects,” the letter said. “We believe that these projects will damage the existing natural ecosystem.” The letter was signed by Archbishop Paulus, in addition to five bishops in his archdiocese. “These exploitative choices clash with the main direction of development which is to make this region a leading tourism, agriculture, plantation, livestock and marine area,” the letter said. Dead heat Indonesia spans 17,000 islands that straddle the Indian and Pacific islands and form part of the Ring of Fire, where 90% of the world’s earthquakes occur. Consequently, Indonesia holds the world’s largest potential for geothermal energy, which harnesses steam from the Earth’s crust to power a turbine, generating energy with close to zero greenhouse gas emissions. Exploring these geothermal sites…This article was originally published on Mongabay

Next-gen geothermal offers circular promise, but needs care and caution

Sean Mowbray — 18 Dec 2024 14:38:19 +0000

Next-generation geothermal technologies are gaining steam as a source of clean, renewable energy and an alternative to fossil fuels. With demonstration projects across the globe now showing strong potential, enhanced geothermal (using ever-present and bountiful heat found deep within the Earth) could one day offer energy to millions of homes, businesses and cities. But geothermal currently makes up just a fraction of global energy produced, at less than 1%. That’s because conventional geothermal methods require special conditions, including permeable land, subsurface heat, plus available water with which to tap into this energy resource. This trifecta means that, while geothermal is exploited in slightly more than 30 countries — led by the U.S., Indonesia, the Philippines and Turkey — actual production is miniscule, a mere 16,318 megawatts of installed capacity. By contrast, installed global wind capacity tipped 1 million MW over the last year. But next-gen geothermal seems poised to take a great leap forward, expanding its capacity massively because all that’s needed is underground heat and economical access to it. Instead of tapping surface hot springs, next-gen tech aims to drill deep into hot rocks to create permeability. It then injects water or other fluids, such as brackish water or treated wastewater, into the Earth to construct artificial subsurface reservoirs heated by the surrounding hot bedrock. These innovative approaches, once perfected, could drive geothermal use far higher. In the U.S. alone, it’s estimated that next-gen geothermal could provide 8.5% of the country’s energy by 2050; that’s enough to power 65…This article was originally published on Mongabay

Bangladesh island’s switch from solar power to fossil fuels threatens birds

Sadiqur Rahman — 14 May 2024 11:04:59 +0000

Almost all 2,500 households — mostly fisher folks — on Nijhum Dwip, a national park that has the second-largest mangrove forest in Bangladesh, used solar PVs LED bulbs at night and recharge table fans and button phones. However, since October 2023, the island has been connected to the national grid, primarily powered by a 15 megawatt heavy fuel oil (HFO)-fired power plant located 20 kilometers (12 miles) north of the island. In six months, 800 families came under grid coverage. Among them, fisher Kaiyum cherished using ceiling fans and a water pump with electricity. But at present, he is facing continual disruptions in the electricity supply. “A few days ago, a bird got electrocuted at the nearest electric pole. The incident snapped the electricity connection for around five hours,” Kaiyum said, adding that disruption in power supply is inevitable “even if there is a gusty wind.” In 2023, Bangladesh’s southern subdistrict of Hatiya and its island Nijhum Dwip were connected to the national grid for the first time through the Bangladesh Power Development Board‘s (BPDB) “100% Reliable and Sustainable Electrification Project.” Since April 2024, Nijhum Dwip has had a 50-km- (31-mile-) long power line network with 1,500 metal electric poles. The tallest ones, standing at 12 meters (39 feet), carry 11 kilovolts of primary electricity, while some shorter, 9-meter (29.5-foot) poles deliver usable electricity. Power line installations inside the Nijhum Dwip National Park. Image by Sadiqur Rahman. The electrification project neither followed the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)…This article was originally published on Mongabay

In round 2 of Philippine geothermal project, tribes dig in for a greater say

Bong S. Sarmiento — 31 Dec 2021 19:09:17 +0000

In the 1980s, when the Philippines’ Energy Development Corporation, or EDC, began developing plans for a geothermal energy plant near Mount Apo, a dormant volcano on the southern island of Mindanao, it faced fierce resistance. Decades later, the geothermal plant is frequently cited as an example of a project that has fulfilled its commitments to traditional landholders, and its permit was renewed without major dissent in 2017. But a bloody struggle preceded the agreement, and as the company seeks to expand, it may again find itself facing opposition from Indigenous peoples. The geothermal project, and the planned expansion, falls within the ancestral lands of the Obu Monuvu, more widely known as the Manobo, an Indigenous group for whom Mt. Apo is both sacred and a source of food and traditional medicines. Early opposition The mountain, the highest in the Philippines, and its surroundings were designated a national park in 1936, and a heritage site by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 1984. It’s considered a key biodiversity area by the government, and is home to more than 272 bird species, 111 of which are endemic, including the rare and critically endangered Philippine eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi), the country’s national bird. EDC, owned at the time by the Philippine National Oil Company (PNOC), began surface exploration for geothermal energy in Mt. Apo National Park as early as 1983. Mt. Apo is also known as Apo Sandawa, the great ancestor of the Manobo and other tribes living in the shadow of…This article was originally published on Mongabay

ADB declares coal exit in Asia Pacific, but gas remains in play

Imelda Abano — 11 May 2021 00:33:59 +0000

MANILA — As the climate crisis bites, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has unveiled its ambitious plan to scrap funding for coal mining and power plants, and ban support for oil and natural gas field exploration or extraction activities in the Asia-Pacific region. Under its draft Energy Policy released May 7, the Philippines-based bank said it decided to update its 2019 policy to align with the fundamental changes in the energy sector, the ongoing global energy transformation, and rising concerns over climate change. ADB said its old energy policy “is no longer adequately aligned with the global consensus on climate change, and the ongoing global transformation of the energy sector.” “In this draft policy, we aimed to formally withdraw financing for new coal power generation,” ADB’s energy sector group chief, Yongping Zhai, told Mongabay Environews Philippines. “ADB will support countries to achieve a planned and rapid phaseout of coal while considering the impact on people and communities to ensure a just transition with no-one left behind.” The bank, Zhai said, is currently consulting with shareholders and the public over the final version of the energy policy, which will be submitted for consideration to the ADB board of directors by October this year. ADB has committed to deliver $80 billion in climate finance funds between 2019 and 2030 and will ensure that at least 75% of its projects will address climate change mitigation and adaptation by 2030, he said. The coal-fired Quezon Power Plant in Mauban, Quezon. The 511MW power plant…This article was originally published on Mongabay

Philippines declares no new coal plants — but lets approved projects through

Leilani Chavez — 05 Nov 2020 05:37:41 +0000

MANILA — The Philippines’ energy department has declared a moratorium on new coal-fired power plants, following a reassessment of the country’s energy system. But while the ban halts applications for new plants, it will not extend to previously approved projects that are already in the pipeline. Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, who has been criticized for not pursuing carbon-free power generation more aggressively, announced the department’s planned coal plant moratorium at a ministerial conference on renewable energy in Singapore on Oct. 27. “While we have initially embraced a technology-neutral policy, our periodic assessment of our country’s energy requirements is paving the way for innovative adaptations in our policy direction,” Cusi said, adding the move will help the Philippines shift to a “more flexible power supply mix … flexible enough to accommodate the entry of new, cleaner, and indigenous technological innovations.” The coal-fired Quezon Power Plant in Mauban, Quezon. The 511MW power plant was commissioned in 2000 and is owned and operated by Quezon Power (Philippines), Limited Co. Image by Lawrence Ruiz (Epi Fabonan III) via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) The department has not yet identified the proposed power plants that would be affected by the moratorium, but the ban could “result in the cancellation of over 13.79-GW of new coal plants” and herald a transition to renewable energy, a network of local and regional anti-coal groups said in a press release. “The decision of the Philippine Department of Energy [DOE] to cease its endorsement of new coal-fired power plants is…This article was originally published on Mongabay

Indonesian officials linked to mining and ‘dirty energy’ firms benefiting from deregulation law

Hans Nicholas Jong — 26 Oct 2020 09:03:39 +0000

JAKARTA — When Indonesia’s parliament passed a new slate of deregulation that, among other things, drastically strips back environmental protections against coal mining, critics and protesters denounced it as catering to business interests. Now, a new report lays bare what many already suspected: several of the politicians who pushed for the new legislation have links to the mining companies that stand to benefit from the changes. The report, compiled by a coalition of Indonesian NGOs, uses corporate registries and other publicly available sources to map out the connections between the mining and “dirty energy” industry and the drafting of the so-called omnibus law on job creation. “There has been a massive potential for conflicts of interest,” Ahmad Ashov Birry, a spokesman for the coalition, said at the recent online launch of the report. He said the coalition had identified 18 politicians mired in potential conflicts of interest, including prominent figures such as Airlangga Hartarto, the coordinating minister for the economy; Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, the coordinating minister in charge of investment and a close confidant to President Joko Widodo; and Puan Maharani, the parliamentary speaker and a senior member of Widodo’s ruling party. A list of 18 politicians and public officials with affiliations to mining and dirty energy businesses who have been pushing for Indonesia’s omnibus law. Image courtesy of Bersihkan Indonesia. Airlangga brought the omnibus bill to life last year by convening a 127-person committee, dominated by business leaders, to draft the legislation. Nine of the drafters were affiliated with…This article was originally published on Mongabay

New UN report takes stock of renewable energy’s decade-long growth spurt

Mongabay.com — 09 Sep 2019 18:05:35 +0000

Thanks to the nearly $280 billion invested in electricity generation from renewable sources last year — three times the amount invested in coal and gas-fired generation capacity combined — a record 167 gigawatts of new renewable energy capacity was installed around the globe, beating the previous record of 160 gigawatts set in 2017. 2018 was the ninth year in a row in which renewable energy capacity investments exceeded $200 billion and the fifth year in a row in which they exceeded $250 billion, according to a report released by the UN ahead of the Climate Action Summit to be held in New York City later this month. That means that, by the time it’s over, the current decade — 2010 to 2019 — will have seen a total of $2.6 trillion in renewable energy investments and a four-fold increase in global renewable energy capacity (excluding large hydroelectric dams, i.e. those with electricity generation capacity of 50 megawatts or more). By the close of 2009, the world was capable of producing 414 gigawatts (GW) of energy from renewable sources like wind, solar, and geothermal, the report states. When 2019 comes to an end, the world is projected to have just over 1,650 GW of renewable generation capacity. Half of the investments made since 2010 went towards building out solar capacity, with the result being that more gigawatts of solar energy were installed over the past decade than any other generation technology. There will be 663 GW of solar capacity by the…This article was originally published on Mongabay

Sumatran habitat for tigers, orangutans gets a partial reprieve from development

Hans Nicholas Jong — 10 May 2018 12:41:58 +0000

JAKARTA — Officials in the Indonesian province of Aceh have vowed to safeguard the last known habitat shared by tigers, orangutans, rhinos and elephants, but concerns abound that the proposed protections are limited in scope. The provincial government, which enjoys a degree of autonomy from the central government in Jakarta, has declared there will be no infrastructure projects developed inside the Gunung Leuser National Park. The park is part of the Leuser Ecosystem, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is the only known habitat on Earth home to critically endangered Sumatran tigers (Panthera tigris sondaica), orangutans (Pongo abelii), rhinos (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis) and elephants (Elephas maximus sumatranus). Specifically, officials are revoking a plan to drill for geothermal energy in the park, as they seek to remove it from UNESCO’s List of World Heritage in Danger. The park has been on the list since 2011 due to ongoing destruction of its rainforest ecosystem. “In accordance with Aceh’s spatial plans, there [will be] no infrastructure development inside the Gunung Leuser National Park,” Aceh Deputy Governor Nova Iriansyah said as quoted on the provincial government’s website. He issued the statement in early April during a meeting with a team from UNESCO, which visited the region to monitor the progress of the government’s plan. “Hopefully with this meeting, our conservation effort can be improved so that Gunung Leuser National Park is no longer categorized as a world heritage in danger,” Nova said. But the pledge applies only to the park, which accounts for just a…This article was originally published on Mongabay

Renewable energy to power 139 countries? Scientists say it’s possible

Mongabay.com — 23 Aug 2017 17:38:08 +0000

Clean, renewable energy holds immense potential to help us tackle a rapidly warming climate. But until a major shift away from fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas, it remains just that — potential. Now, a new study in the journal Joule plots out a global path for complete conversion to renewable energy sources in 139 countries that, in addition to slowing or halting climate change, could diminish air pollution, bolster job growth and be more economical. “Policymakers don’t usually want to commit to doing something unless there is some reasonable science that can show it is possible, and that is what we are trying to do,” said lead author Mark Jacobson, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Stanford University, in a statement. A solar farm fuels a Purina factory. Photo by Purina employee (Provided by an employee at Purina) CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons Jacobson headed a squadron of researchers in a quest to understand how solar, wind and hydropower could help to quench our ever-growing thirst for the energy that powers the transportation, electricity and agriculture on which we rely. They calculated the possible impacts that a 100-percent shift by the year 2050 to these clean energy sources in 139 countries, selected because collectively they’re responsible for nearly all of the Earth’s carbon dioxide emissions. The team also looked at each country’s potential for these energy sources, as well as where infrastructure developments such as wind turbines and solar farms could be situated. The…This article was originally published on Mongabay

Protests over geothermal development heat up in Central Java

L. Darmawan — 22 Aug 2017 19:46:19 +0000

PURWOKERTO, Indonesia — This January, the people of Karangtengah Village in Central Java were surprised to find that the river running past their homes had turned murky. Not only do the villagers rely on the Prukut River for freshwater, it also tumbles down in the scenic Cipendok Waterfall, the centerpiece of a local tourism industry. Before long, the villagers identified the source of the muck polluting the waterway: mud and debris from a once-forested plot of land that had been cleared to make way for a planned geothermal power plant in Baturraden, a tourist resort on the southern slopes of Mount Slamet. A view of Mount Slamet in Purwokerto, Central Java. Photo by L. Darmawan/Mongabay-Indonesia Indonesia’s geothermal dream Indonesia is hungry for electricity to help power its economy and raise living standards across the archipelago. The country’s electricity demand is projected to increase by an average of 9 percent per year to reach 328.3 terawatt hours (TWh) in 2020, double 2012 levels. As the government struggles to keep pace with demand, few options look more attractive than geothermal — a 24-hour-a-day, 365-days-a-year source of very low carbon energy that is available in abundance throughout the volcanic islands that form the Indonesian archipelago. The country is estimated to have geothermal capacity of more than 28,000 megawatts, the largest in the world. So far, this potential is largely untapped. Indonesia currently has installed capacity of 1,403 megawatts from geothermal fields in Java, Sumatra and Sulawesi. The government aims to expand that to…This article was originally published on Mongabay

Aceh governor-elect: ‘I myself will cancel’ controversial geothermal project in Sumatran rainforest

Junaidi Hanafiah — 11 Mar 2017 07:02:48 +0000

BANDA ACEH, Indonesia — The governor-elect of Aceh province said he would revoke a proposal to drill for geothermal energy and build a power plant in the heart of Sumatra’s largest intact rainforest, a victory for environmental and indigenous rights advocates who are struggling to secure the broader landscape’s protected status. Aceh’s present administration had asked Jakarta to rezone the core area of Mount Leuser National Park so that an arm of Turkish-owned Hitay Holdings could operate in one of the last habitats of the giant island’s rhino, tiger, elephant and orangutan populations. The IUCN lists the Sumatran variety of each species as Critically Endangered. The project appeared to die last September when the Ministry of Environment and Forestry’s director for protected areas said his office had rejected the request. But in December it seemed to remain on the table when University of Gadjah Mada researchers who had been paid by the company to quickly assess the area presented their findings at the park’s management office. The researchers’ recommendation that the plan go ahead reportedly received a positive response from some ministry officials. But then Irwandi Yusuf won last month’s race for Aceh governor, beating out incumbent Zaini Abdullah. “I myself will cancel this project,” Yusuf said in an interview this week. The governor-elect said he would move the project to Mount Seulwah Agam, a volcano outside of the broader Leuser Ecosystem. The Leuser Ecosystem is shown in Indonesia’s westernmost Aceh province. The area contains Mount Leuser National Park, which is part of the Tropical…This article was originally published on Mongabay

Indonesian environment ministry shoots down geothermal plan in Mount Leuser National Park

Fidelis E. Satriastanti — 12 Sep 2016 22:17:36 +0000

The Indonesian environment ministry has denied the Aceh provincial government’s proposal to rezone part of Mount Leuser National Park for geothermal development, reacting to opposition from conservationists who argued the project would threaten key orangutan and rhino populations. The ministry’s director for protected areas told Mongabay that the ministry had rejected a letter from Aceh Governor Zaini Abdullah asking that a section of the park’s “core zone” be changed to a “utilization zone” so that a Turkish company, Hitay Holdings, could develop geothermal there. “The minister received the letter but from socialization and [public] consultation, the result was disagreement with the rezoning, so that’s that. [The plan] stops there,” Tachrir Fathoni told Mongabay last week on the sidelines of the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Honolulu. The project would have covered 50-100 hectares of land, but Abdullah had asked for the rezoning of nearly 8,000 hectares in the Kappi Plateau, where hundreds of critically endangered Sumatran elephants (Elephas maximus sumatrensis) live. The House of Representatives would have also had to sign off on any proposal to rezone a national park, Fathoni added. Sumatran elephants in Indonesia’s Leuser Ecosystem. Rapid oil palm expansion is eating away at the creatures’ habitat and driving them into increased conflict with humans. Photo by Rhett A. Butler Mount Leuser National Park is part of the wider Leuser Ecosystem, a nationally protected area constituting one of Southeast Asia’s last great swaths of intact rainforest. But the Aceh government’s 2013 spatial plan makes no mention of Leuser,…This article was originally published on Mongabay

Aceh governor eyes geothermal project in Indonesia’s Leuser Ecosystem

Junaidi Hanafiah — 26 Aug 2016 00:06:32 +0000

The governor of Indonesia’s Aceh province is moving forward with a plan to rezone part of Mount Leuser National Park for geothermal development, despite opposition from conservationists who say the project threatens key rhino and orangutan populations. Last week, Governor Zaini Abdullah sent an official letter to the forestry minister in Jakarta asking that a section of the park’s “core zone” be changed to a “utilization zone” so that a Turkish company may develop geothermal there. The utilization zone would still be part of the park. The company, PT Hitay Panas Energy, is an arm of Hitay Holdings, an investment group founded and chaired by Emin Hitay, one of Turkey’s richest men. Hitay has some history in Indonesia. He served as the archipelagic country’s honorary consul in Istanbul, and chairs the Turkish-Indonesian Business Council. He also tattooed onto his back a large image of the Garuda Pancasila, Indonesia’s coat of arms, in a profession of affinity for the Southeast Asian nation. Emin Hitay’s profile picture on his Twitter page, @EminHitay. Hitay plans to invest billions of dollars in nine geothermal projects across Indonesia’s main western islands of Sumatra and Java. Mount Leuser National Park is part of the wider Leuser Ecosystem, a nationally protected area constituting one of Southeast Asia’s last great swaths of intact rainforest. But the Aceh government’s 2013 spatial plan makes no mention of Leuser, and local officials have argued that the province has a right to develop the area. Aceh fought a long separatist war that ended in 2005 and enjoys special…This article was originally published on Mongabay

Germany proves the promise of renewable energy: hits 20 percent renewables

Karimeh Moukaddem — 06 Sep 2011 13:51:00 +0000

As many people in the United States question whether renewable energy is a viable alternative to fossil fuels, Germany now derives 20.8 percent of its electricity from renewable sources—a 15 percent increase since 2000, reports Der Spiegel. In contrast, the United States generates only 10 percent of its electricity from renewable sources, 6 percent of which comes from hydroelectric power, which some environmentalists see as unacceptably damaging. In the last year alone, Germany’s share of renewable electricity increased from 18.3 to 20.8 percent, and the country plans for further growth. German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government aims to derive no less than 35 percent of the country’s energy from renewable sources by 2020. Opposition parties believe 40 or more percent of Germany’s energy could be sustainable by 2020. Over the past decade, wind and biomass have fueled Germany’s growth in clean energy. In 2011, however, photovoltaic (solar energy) began driving growth in the renewable energy sector—even though Germany receives roughly the same amount of sunlight as Alaska. Photovoltaic solar power increased more than 76 percent in the past year and now accounts for 3.5 percent of electricity production— more than hydropower. Considering hydroelectricity contributes only 3.3 percent of Germany’s power, the share of solar, wind, and biomass derived energy has grown considerably. “The renewables are showing their true potential, and that is in spite of numerous attempts to obstruct their progress,” Anike Peters, an energy expert with Greenpeace Germany, told the Christian Science Monitor. Energy park in Germany: solar on the…This article was originally published on Mongabay

Is Obama’s clean energy revolution possible?

Jeremy Hance — 26 Jan 2011 22:39:00 +0000

Recent studies point to the feasibility of a global clean energy revolution. Last night US President Barack Obama called for a massive green energy make-over of the world’s largest economy. Describing the challenge as ‘this generation’s Sputnik moment’ the US president set a goal of producing 80 percent of America’s energy by clean sources by 2035. While this may sound improbable, two recent analyses back the president up, arguing that a global clean energy revolution is entirely possible within a few decades using contemporary technology and without breaking the bank. “Based on our findings, there are no technological or economic barriers to converting the entire world to clean, renewable energy sources,” Mark Z. Jacobson, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Stanford said in a press release. “It is a question of whether we have the societal and political will.” Political will has been difficult to come by, especially in the US where comprehensive climate legislation failed to pass last year, and the nation still refuses to sign on to the Kyoto Treaty, although it has become a more proactive participant in international negotiation under the Obama Administration. Graph showing domestic crude production versus crude oil imports, thousand barrels per day – 1920-2005. Source: DOE/EIA. Click to enlarge. Yet, according to Jacobson’s paper published in Energy Policy, not just the US’s, but the entire world’s energy needs could be met by electricity produced 90% from wind and solar sources alone. The final 10% could be generated by geothermal, hydro,…This article was originally published on Mongabay

Indonesia to open protected forests to geothermal power

Mongabay.com — 14 Jan 2011 23:21:00 +0000

The Indonesian government will soon issue a decree allowing geothermal mining in protected forests, reports The Jakarta Post. Mining of any kind is currently prohibited in protected forest areas, but because the government says geothermal mining is “environmentally friendly” it would be allowed. Geothermal would enable Indonesia to reduce its dependence on oil, reserves of which are fast being depleted. Geothermal might also reduce reliance on coal, although much of Indonesia’s coal is sold to overseas markets. Indonesia already has an ambitious plan to expand geothermal power production. The country is estimated to have geothermal potential of around 28,000 megawatts, much of which is in forest areas, according to Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan. “Around 80 percent of our geothermal reserves are located in protected forests,” Zulkifli was quoted as saying by detikfinance.com. “We’re now waiting for the completion of a presidential decree on underground mining activities, because geothermal mining is included in that mining type.” Al Gore highlighted Indonesia’s ample geothermal resources during a speech last week in Jakarta.This article was originally published on Mongabay

Africa eyes geothermal power

Mongabay.com — 15 Dec 2008 14:30:39 +0000

Africa eyes geothermal power Africa eyes geothermal power mongabay.com December 12, 2008This article was originally published on Mongabay

U.S. Congress passes legislation to boost solar, wind, and geothermal energy

Mongabay.com — 24 Sep 2008 14:30:39 +0000

U.S. Congress passes legislation to boost solar, wind, and geothermal energy U.S. Congress passes legislation to boost solar, wind, and geothermal energy mongabay.com September 24, 2008 Tuesday the U.S. Senate passed a bill that will extend tax credits on solar power installations through 2016. The House approved the measure Wednesday. The $17 billion package will allow businesses and homeowners to deduct part of the cost of new solar installation from their income tax. The legislation would also extend incentives for wind power for one year and geothermal and biomass for two years. The tax credits would have otherwise expired at the end of the year. The energy legislation allows taxpayers to claim a credit of up to $7,500 for purchasing plug-in electric cars and there are incentives to use smart meters to improve energy efficiency.This article was originally published on Mongabay

Google, Australia give big boost to geothermal power production

Mongabay.com — 20 Aug 2008 14:30:39 +0000

Google, Australia give big boost to geothermal power production Google, Australia give big boost to geothermal energy mongabay.com August 20, 2008 Geothermal energy got a big boost this week with Google and the Australian government announcing multi-million initiatives that make use of Earth’s heat as a clean and renewable source of power. Tuesday Google.org, the philanthropic arm of search giant Google, said it will invest $10 million in “enhanced geothermal systems” (EGS) to improve the potential of geothermal energy, which harnesses the heat of Earth’s core to generate power. The EGS process works by effectively mimicking a geyser. Water is pumped through holes drilled into the hot rock deep below Earth’s surface. The resulting heated water and steam is then used produce electricity in a conventional turbine. A study published this past January by MIT researchers estimated that just 2 percent of the heat below the continental United States between 3 and 10 kilometers deep is more than 2,500 times the country’s total annual energy use. The recipients of the investment include Potter Drilling, a firm developing new technologies for hard rock drilling ($4 million); AltaRock Energy, a company working on EGS ($6.25 million); and Southern Methodist University Geothermal Lab, which will receive a $489,521 grant to “improve geothermal resource assessment techniques and update the Geothermal Map of North America”, according to Google. In making the investment, Google touted the potential of EGS to meet global energy needs. “EGS could be the ‘killer app’ of the energy world. It has…This article was originally published on Mongabay

Gore launches second campaign… for Earth

Mongabay.com — 17 Jul 2008 14:30:39 +0000

Gore launches second campaign… for Earth Gore launches second campaign mongabay.com July 17, 2008 In a speech Thursday, Al Gore challenged the U.S. to generate 100 percent of its electricity from zero carbon emission sources within 10 years. Speaking at Washington’s Constitution Hall, Gore said America’s security, environmental and economic crises are all related, and that measures to rein in greenhouse gas emissions will make the U.S. stronger, safer, and cleaner. “The survival of the United States of America as we know it is at risk,” Gore said. “I don’t remember a time in our country when so many things seemed to be going so wrong simultaneously.” The Vulcan Project maps American carbon dioxide emissions. The map shows annual emissions in 2002 (kilotons of carbon) from urban centers (larger red patches), widely scattered point sources like remote power stations or smelters (small red dots), and highways. (Map by Jesse Allen, based on data from the Vulcan Project.) “We are borrowing money from China to buy oil from the Persian Gulf to burn it in ways that destroy the planet. Every bit of that’s got to change,” the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 continued. “But if we grab hold of that common thread and pull it hard all of these complex problems begin to unravel and we will find that we are holding the answer to all of them right in our hand. The answer is to end our reliance on carbon-based fuels. I’m convinced that one reason…This article was originally published on Mongabay

Google aims to make renewable energy sources cheaper than coal

Mongabay.com — 28 Nov 2007 14:30:39 +0000

Google aims to make renewable energy sources cheaper than coal Google aims to make renewable energy cheaper than coal mongabay.com November 28, 2007 Tuesday Google announced an initiative to develop electricity from renewable energy sources that will be cheaper than electricity produced from coal. The initiative, dubbed REMongabay

Nobel prize winner debates future of nuclear power

Rhett Ayers Butler — 07 Jun 2007 14:30:39 +0000

Nobel prize winner debates future of nuclear power Nobel prize winner debates future of nuclear power Rhett A. Butler, mongabay.com June 7, 2007 Two renowned energy experts sparred in a debate over nuclear energy Wednesday afternoon at Stanford University. Amory Lovins, Chairman and Chief Scientist of the Rocky Mountain Institute, an energy think tank, argued that energy efficiency and alternative energy sources will send nuclear power the way of the dinosaurs in the near future. Dr. Burton Richter, winner of the 1976 Nobel Prize in physics, said that nuclear would play an important part of the future energy portfolio needed to cut carbon emissions to fight global warming. Lovins: micropower and negawatts will kill nuclear power Lovins opened by noting the global decline in nuclear power plants, a trend he attributed to two powerful market forces: energy efficiency (i.e. “negawatts”) and supply competition. “Global nuclear expansion is coasting to a halt,” he said, noting that the last nuclear rector was completed in the U.S. was in 1973 and that even under China’s most ambitious targets for nuclear expansion, it would displace only 10 percent of the nuclear capacity that will soon go offline. Lovins said the reason for the decline is cost: on an even playing field with no hidden subsidies, nuclear is simply more expensive than other options, especially co-generation. Photo courtesy of the Department of Energy (DOE). Lovins argued nuclear plants are currently being financed only in places where they are either mandated by governments or supported with…This article was originally published on Mongabay

Bush administration cuts funding for geothermal energy

Mongabay.com — 13 Mar 2007 14:30:39 +0000

Bush administration cuts funding for geothermal energy Bush administration cuts funding for geothermal energy mongabay.com March 13, 2007 The Bush Administration is seeking to eliminate federal funding for geothermal energy research according to a report from Reuters. Oddly, the move comes as the White House has made a push for renewable energy to reduce dependence on foreign oil imports. Apparently the administration appears to be focused on biofuels as liquid fuels and nuclear for electricity generation. “The Department of Energy has not requested funds for geothermal research in our fiscal-year 2008 budget,” Reuters quoted Christina Kielich, a spokeswoman for the Department of Energy, as saying. “Geothermal is a mature technology. Our focus is on breakthrough energy research and development.” Some scientists would beg to differ. “Geothermal energy within the United States… could supply a substantial portion of the electricity the United States will need in the future, probably at competitive prices and with minimal environmental impact,” stated an MIT-led study on published in January. “Unlike conventional fossil-fuel power plants that burn coal, natural gas or oil, no fuel would be required. And unlike wind and solar systems, a geothermal plant works night and day, offering a non-interruptible source of electric power.” “We’ve determined that heat mining can be economical in the short term, based on a global analysis of existing geothermal systems, an assessment of the total U.S. resource and continuing improvements in deep-drilling and reservoir stimulation technology,” said Jefferson W. Tester, a Professor of Chemical Engineering at MIT, who…This article was originally published on Mongabay

Geothermal energy could cut U.S. oil demand

Mongabay.com — 22 Jan 2007 14:30:39 +0000

Geothermal energy could cut U.S. oil demand Geothermal energy could cut U.S. oil demand mongabay.com January 22, 2007 Geothermal energy could eventually power some 25 million homes across the United States at a cost of $40 million per year according to a Department of Energy sponsored study released Monday. Lead by Jefferson Tester, a professor at MIT and lead author, the report argues that unlocking the heat stored in Earth’s crust could improve American energy security while reducing emissions greenhouse gases blamed for global warming. A news release from MIT appears below. MIT news office: MIT-led panel backs ‘heat mining’ as key U.S. energy source (January 22, 2007) A comprehensive new MIT-led study of the potential for geothermal energy within the United States has found that mining the huge amounts of heat that reside as stored thermal energy in the Earth’s hard rock crust could supply a substantial portion of the electricity the United States will need in the future, probably at competitive prices and with minimal environmental impact. An 18-member panel led by MIT prepared the 400-plus page study, titled “The Future of Geothermal Energy.” Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, it is the first study in some 30 years to take a new look at geothermal, an energy resource that has been largely ignored. The goal of the study was to assess the feasibility, potential environmental impacts and economic viability of using enhanced geothermal system (EGS) technology to greatly increase the fraction of the U.S. geothermal resource…This article was originally published on Mongabay