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Kenya closing in on 100% renewables target thanks to geothermal power

Kengen workers test a sample of condensed steam at a separator unit of a super heated steam well at the Olkaria geothermal plant located near the central Kenyan town of Naivasha. (Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images)
Kengen workers test a sample of condensed steam at a separator unit of a super heated steam well at the Olkaria geothermal plant located near the central Kenyan town of Naivasha. (Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images)

Kenya is a world leader in using geothermal power, a form of energy that uses the earth’s core to heat water into steam to turn turbines. Kenya stumbled across geothermal as a power option in the 1970s when tensions in the Middle East led to an oil embargo and drove up costs and the need for Kenya to find alternate energy opportunities. Now, the nation is well on its way to its goal of running on only renewable energy sources by 2030.

Peter Muiruri is a freelance journalist based in Nairobi, Kenya, who frequently writes for The Guardian covering climate change and conservation. He speaks with host Deepa Fernandes.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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