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80 Managing Global Warming

Geothermal resource of the United States
Locations of identified hydrothermal sites and
favorability of deep enhanced geothermal systems (EGS)

Fig. 3.14 Geothermal resources of the United States (shown here just for reference purposes
and as example). Eventually, geothermal resources can be found everywhere, but the most
favorable for use should be close to surface and to have higher temperatures.
Courtesy of DOE, United States.

Germany has visibly decreased the usage of coal for electricity generation from 44%
to 37% and, at the same time, the usage of nuclear power was also decreased from 18%
to 12% (Fig. 3.3E). This drop in electricity generation was mainly compensated with
wind power, which was increased from 8% to 16% (onshore wind farms—13.3%
and off-shore—2.8%), with biomass with 2% increase, and with solar up to 4% increase.
The United Kingdom has decreased their usage of coal for electricity generation
even more significantly than Germany, that is, from 25% to 3% within 2013–2017
(Fig. 3.3F). At the same time, usage of oil for electricity generation was also decreased
from 7% to 3%. Unfortunately, in addition, the United Kingdom has decreased
usage of nuclear—from 29% to 25%. This drop in the electricity generation from coal,
oil, and nuclear was substituted mainly with gas (usage increased from 30% to 44%)
and renewables (increase from 9% to 25%).
Russia has increased the usage of gas for electricity generation from 51% to 59%,
nuclear from 16% to 19%, and hydro power from 16% to 17% (Fig. 3.3G). Due to these
increases the usage of coal has substantially decreased from 16% to <5%. However,
Russia is behind other developed countries in use of renewables such as wind and solar.
Italy, as a nonnuclear-power country, has decreased the usage of gas, coal, and oil
for electricity generation by substituting these sources with renewables such as solar,
wind, biomass, and geothermal (Fig. 3.3H).