Natural gas burns cleaner than coal, but West Virginia can do better when it comes to energy production.  Last October, researchers at Southern Methodist University, funded by Google, announced that West Virginia sits atop the major geothermal hot spot of the East Coast.  Take a look at the map to see how special that really is.  This hot spot is no small potatoes– if tapped it would be a power supply equivalent to the total amount of all current energy production in the state (which is largely coal-fired).  Read more on the WV Geologic Survey’s website…

This month, further SMU research confirmed and verified geothermal resources across the US which are capable of supporting large-scale commercial energy production.  West Virginia’s hotspot remains of strong interest.  Keep this in mind when you hear talk of energy independence.