Financial and Community Hurdles Slow Geothermal Energy Development in Southeast Asia

Providing round-the-clock energy, using minimal space and considered a clean source of power—geothermal energy seems like an ideal option for countries like Indonesia and the Philippines, where the potential is high, and governments are seeking to transition away from highly polluting fossil fuels.

Yet most of the potential of geothermal energy, created by harnessing heat produced by the earth from underground reservoirs of hot water to power turbines that generate electricity, remains untapped in these countries and across the world—as financial, regulatory, and community roadblocks have stalled growth.

More readily available financing and domestic regulatory changes are starting to address these barriers, but experts say more should be done to unlock the vast clean energy source trapped just beneath the Earth's surface.