How ancient healing hot springs could fuel a clean energy future
One hot spring town shows how Japan could turn its underground cauldron of heat into clean energy
— without risking its centuries-old tradition of public bath
Tsuchiyu Onsen is a test case for how Japan could tap into an abundant source of clean power while preserving the country’s cultural identity.
Japan has the world’s third-biggest #geothermal #energy #reserves,
but it depends on imported fossil fuels for most of its electricity.
Experts say geothermal could provide about 10 percent of the country’s power,
if Japan took advantage of it.
The government plans to triple geothermal energy output this decade, from 0.3 percent of electricity production to 1 percent.
But one of the biggest barriers has been opposition from Japan’s hot spring industry.
Most of Japan’s geothermal energy reserves lie near one of the country’s more than 3,000 #hot #springs, called #onsens,
that play an important role in Japanese culture and tourism.
The owners of inns and bathhouses worry that geothermal development could damage their source of spring water, devastating their businesses.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-solutions/2024/09/01/japan-geothermal-energy-onsen/