Geothermal Energy A Savior For Japan?

Japan has been in a horrific economic slump the last 15 years. As it thrashes around for a strategy, one idea has come to the forefront. Geothermal energy just might be the ticket.

Japan is in an odd situation. It has an aging population that is heavily reliant on government subsidies. At the same time, the nation has little in the way of natural resources, which means everything must be imported. This and other economic problems have created a situation where there are massive outflows of money compared to revenues coming in.

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The end result has seen Japan enter into a brutal economic environment the last 15 years. While the world has seen the banking system crushed the last two years, Japan has been dealing with the same problem domestically for the last fifteen years. Greece is seen a problem with its 100 percent plus national debt to gross domestic product ration. Well, compared to Japan, Greece is nothing. When hard figures are calculated, Japan is looking at about a 180 percent ratio. That is an economic killer to say the least.

Japan needs an industry that can lead it out of the morass. While its auto industry is solid, many are suggesting a win-win idea – geothermal energy. Japan is a natural for the energy platform. It is in one of the most seismically active areas, sitting on what is known as the ring of volcanoes that surrounds the Pacific Ocean. Heat is, of course, the number one need with geothermal energy and Japan is sitting on top of one of the great natural ovens in the world.

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The added positive aspect of the geothermal idea is it is there for the taking. Most countries are leaning heavily on solar or wind when it comes to renewable energy. Nobody has focused on geothermal, even those countries that use it heavily. This provides Japan with the opportunity to develop the technology needed to make the platform an efficient and reliable energy source. It can then use it for its own energy needs while also commercializing and exporting it to the world – a proverbial win-win for a country in serious need.

Will this happen? It is difficult to say, but it certainly seems like a natural match.

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