To maintain a sustainable civilization throughout the 21st century, it appears necessary that humankind utilize renewable energy sources to the maximum degree. Although various efforts are underway in various countries to develop renewable energy, they are still far from sufficient. Geothermal energy is a reliable and environmentally benign source and is one of the most competitive of the renewable resources. However, this view is not universally shared by the general public. Moreover, the current low price of fossil fuels, combined with deregulation of the electric power industry since 1990, has made it very difficult for new geothermal power plants to compete