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More Energy Expected To Come From Geothermal In California

Waterfowl rest in the placid waters of the Salton Sea on Feb. 25, 2019.
Kris Arciaga
Waterfowl rest in the placid waters of the Salton Sea on Feb. 25, 2019.
Two new geothermal plants are in the works in the state, one is in the Salton Sea area and the other is in northern California.

Two new geothermal plants are in the works in the state, one is in the Salton Sea area and the other is in northern California.

The growth in geothermal is believed to be spurred by a California bill passed in 2018 requiring the state to get to 100% renewable energy by 2045. Clean power from geothermal sources has long been generated in California, but the scale has been small, accounting for just 4.5% of the state’s energy in 2018.

RELATED: San Diego Company Says It Can Extract Lithium From Geothermal Brine

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Los Angeles Times energy reporter Sammy Roth wrote about the expected expansion of geothermal energy in the state. He joined Midday Edition to discuss how geothermal makes energy and why it's poised to grow.