Geothermal handbook: PlanninG and Financing power Generation t e c h n I c a L r e p o r t 2 / 2

ENvIrONMENT ANd SOCIAL CONSIdErATIONS. 
From a global environmental perspective, the benefits 
of geothermal energy development are beyond dispute. Carbon dioxide (CO
2
) emissions from 
geothermal power generation, while not always zero, are far lower than those produced by power 
generated from burning fossil fuels. Local environmental impacts from replacing fossil fuels with 
geothermal power tend to be positive on balance—due primarily to the avoided impacts of fuel 
combustion on air quality and the avoided hazards of fuel transportation and handling. Of course, 
like any infrastructure development, geothermal power has its own social and environmental impacts 
22
G e o t h e r m a l H a n d b o o k : P l a n n i n g a n d F i n a n c i n g P o w e r G e n e r a t i o n 

---

33
and risks that have to be managed, and the affected groups must be consulted throughout project 
preparation and development. The impacts from a geothermal power development project are usually 
highly localized; few if any of them are irreversible; and in most cases mitigation measures can be 
readily implemented.