Yeah right, Aussy hot rocks are not reheating quickly!!

Where's the reference for that? Have you consulted a Geology Professor about that one?

First: Here's a list of Aussy Hot springs with incessant subterranean reaheating and thus hot rock @ depths < 2Km.

Second, Engadine, St Peters and the Euroka diatreme(volcanic crater) at Glenbrook are all SYDNEY locations within spitting distance of power grid networks. That means that @ 7Km depths you will get HOT ROCKS >800 Deg C. There are more in many areas within the Sydney Metropolis. 7Km is routine for oil drillers especially in the Gulf of Mexico. So there is no excuse for wasting money on solar and Wind when baseload Geothermal is so near.

Additionally EVERY capital city in Australia and thus some 90% of Australians have similar adjacent Geothermal reservoirs. In Fact Perth and Adelaide have better geology due to proximity to crustal faulting.

Many people KNOW these facts. The problem is the choke hold the OIL and Peabody Coal conglomerates have on media and world politics.

Presidents and PMs are paid 50 times less than CEOs. The REAL Occupy Wall Street heart-cry that is so elusive to enunciate is that there is no DEMOCRACY and thus no FREEDOM when CEOs can covertly bribe democratic leaders in matters so vital to the sustainability and future of the human race.

Thus, Fossil fuels are largely being sustained beyond their shelflife because they are on a CEO GRAVY TRAIN of easy money. Thus every drilling rig on the planet is unavailable for geothermal even if its in lay-off. And impossible Solar and its wind and wave derivitives are being scammed down our throats to offer false hope while these CEO morons lead us all into global wealth consolidation wars.

Get it?

If Occupy Wall Street people read this and begin the chant for:

*top world leaders to be paid the same as top CEOs and
*Oil companies to drill 1 out of 10 wells for GEOTHERMAL reservoirs

Here's the hot springs list for Australia

http://www.findseedo.com/spspas.html

Kaep,

Would you be so kind as to give a reference to a single commercially viable hot rocks power generator?

There is no question that there are huge amounts of energy available in nature, the questions are whether it can be harvested cheaply and reliably. So far the answers are no, although the huge focus globally over the past few decades is working towards reducing costs and increasing reliability, there is still a long way to go.

There's 10 billion $ up for grabs, for people with alt energy plans. Of course Toni has labelled it a slush fund, but that is expected. Register your project now.

I've got one involving hamster wheels.

Hey SM, I'm all for nuclear, especially in Australia, where the safety risk is so low with our low earthquake risk and high safety standards. I think nuclear should replace coal for the medium-term, say 50-100 years, while we work towards perfecting cleaner and safer alternatives. unless we also come up with safe long term storage or neutralization of waste from nuclear too. That would be great.

Unfortunately the debate has been dominated by the voice of the left on this one, which has been backed up by events such as Chernobyl and Fukushima. I just can't see the general public accepting it for some time.

We should be working towards improving technologies of alternates though. Whether you believe in AGW or not, it is still in the long term interests of Australia and the global community. My reference to the new solar plant in Spain was to point out that advances are being made, new ideas being developed and that we are getting closer to getting some real results. I'm not saying problem is solved. I'm saying the problem can be solved (I believe) and evidence is there that we are getting closer.

Negativity from the right doesn't aid in that process. Just as over-zealousness from the left is skewing reasonable debate on nuclear.