More Americans are coming to their senses and becoming skeptics about global warming. A 2014 poll by Gallup shows that only 34 percent of Americans are greatly worried about “global warming” or “climate change,” down from 41 percent in 2007, the height of the Al Gore Inconvenient Truth scam. We have good reasons. For example, the Earth is cooling, not warming; temperature cycles have occurred naturally for millions of years; the computer models aren’t accurate; and CO2 is not a pollutant. Basically, climate change is normal and people are not causing the end of the world.

However, we can all support energy conservation. Conservation and cheap energy make a significant positive difference in the lives of all people. One energy source which can help is geothermal energy.

Geothermal energy is created by the natural, internal heat of the earth coming in contact with groundwater. It’s been here for hundreds of thousands of years and is unending. It should be a darling of the environmental movement. The earth’s interior heat and the energy produced are both constant and significant. There is potential for widespread generation, it is highly base-load dispatchable, little land is used, and there are low emissions.

Importantly, geothermal energy is highly controllable and storable, running at a higher load factor than either wind or solar. It is virtually invisible after installation. All piping is deep underground, with only control equipment above ground.

Geothermal is an ideal source of base-load energy. Solar and wind are not. It provides a critical backup to those uncontrollable, indeterminate, and temperamental sources. This fact alone should make geothermal energy popular.

Most geothermal plants are on the “ring of fire” for volcanic and earthquake activity, where the crust is “thin” and wells are easily managed. Yet new enhanced geothermal systems are making it feasible in many new places such as West Virginia, a key location for high demand areas.

The United States has the largest geothermal capacity, almost one-third of worldwide capacity. According to the Geothermal Energy Association (GEA), 124 of 674 new projects are in the United States. Worldwide the industry is “booming,” with growth of 4-5 percent per year. There are several 100 MW plants being built in Africa, where electricity is desperately needed. The average U.S. plant is about 25 MW.

About 85 MW of new capacity was added in the U.S. during 2013 in California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. In California, Nevada, and Utah alone over 50 percent of potential capacity is “untapped.” Other states with potential include Arkansas, Iowa, Louisiana, Kansas, Mississippi, Nebraska, New York, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, and Texas.

While most U.S. high-temperature geothermal is in the Mountain West, ground temperatures of 40 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit are found 10-20 feet underground throughout the country, making geothermal suitable for home and businesses and as stand-alone supplemental heating.

The 2009 geothermal resource map from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) shows a large area of Southeastern Iowa may have significant potential for commercial geothermal energy. This includes Clinton/Davenport, Iowa City towards Brooklyn, and Mount Pleasant to Lee County and the Missouri border.

This positive finding should energize the Legislature and Governor to implement permitting policies resulting in quicker development and operation of new facilities in Iowa. Leasing conflicts, environmental costs, and transmission issues must be resolved.

There are 170 permanent, full-time jobs created per 100 MW of geothermal power provided, and about 640 jobs created during construction. Resolving development, siting, and permitting process issues for geothermal facilities could bring many new jobs and economic development to our state.

Deborah D. Thornton is a research analyst at the Public Interest Institute, in Mount Pleasant..