Geothermal Energy

Why in News

The Press Information Bureau (PIB) published a thematic Backgrounder on Geothermal Energy on 4 September 2026. The piece is a subject explainer written for exam and public awareness value.

Core facts

1. Definition: Geothermal energy is heat stored inside the Earth. This heat is tapped through wells at sites with high underground temperature gradients.
2. Nature of the source: Geothermal power is a renewable and baseload source. It generates around the clock, unlike solar or wind.
3. Nodal ministry: The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) is the nodal ministry for geothermal energy in India.
4. Verification note: The release body did not resolve on the source page this run, so release-specific figures are not quoted. The static estimates below come from standard reference data.

Static Context

1. India’s first project: India commissioned its first geothermal wells at Puga Valley in the Changthang region of Ladakh. A 1 Megawatt (MW) pilot geothermal plant is planned as the first demonstration scale project.
2. Implementing agency: The ONGC Energy Centre, a body of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), leads the Puga project with the Ladakh Administration.
3. Estimated potential: India’s geothermal potential is estimated at about 10,600 MW (standard reference figure).
4. Survey base: The Geological Survey of India (GSI) has documented about 381 hot springs. India has ten geothermal provinces, including the Himalayan, Son Narmada Tapi (SONATA), West Coast, Cambay and Godavari belts.
5. Key sites: Notable geothermal sites include Puga and Chumathang in Ladakh, Manikaran in Himachal Pradesh, Tattapani in Chhattisgarh, and Bakreshwar in West Bengal.
6. Policy frame: A National Policy on Geothermal Energy was notified in 2025, with the MNRE as the promoting authority.

Prelims angle

1. Nodal ministry: MNRE. Lead agency for Puga: ONGC Energy Centre.
2. First site: Puga Valley, Ladakh. Survey body: GSI, with about 381 hot springs mapped.
3. Source character: Renewable and baseload, driven by internal Earth heat.
4. Geothermal provinces: Himalayan, SONATA, West Coast, Cambay, Godavari and others.

Mains angle

GS Paper 3, energy and infrastructure. A question can ask how geothermal energy can add firm renewable baseload capacity to India’s energy mix, and can weigh the high exploration cost and site concentration in the Himalayas against the round the clock output advantage.

“[2013] Consider the following :

(1). Electromagnetic radiation

(2). Geothermal energy

(3). Gravitational force

(4). Plate movements

(5). Rotation of the earth

(6). Revolution of the earth

Which of the above are responsible for bringing dynamic changes on the surface of the earth?

(a) 1, 2, 3 and 4 only

(b) 1, 3, 5 and 6 only

(c) 2, 4, 5 and 6 only

(d) 1, 2, 3, 4. 5 and 6.