U.S. Department of Interior — Assisting in Geothermal

I tend to be critical of the U.S. government’s failure to take on a leadership role in promoting renewable energy, but I forget how far we’ve come.  This piece describing the U.S. Department of Interior opening up public lands for geothermal, and assisting in the development of 20 gigawatts of this clean, baseload power by 2020, reminds me that it was only a few years ago, under the previous administration, that the activities of this group were essentially confined to rubber-stamping land leased for the oil companies at advantages rates — far below their fair market value.  The Obama people tend to be far more progressive in this space, and deserve credit accordingly.