Indonesia hosts world's biggest geothermal energy forum  

The BBC has a report on Indonesian interest in further expanding their use of geothermal power - Indonesia hosts world's biggest geothermal energy forum.

Indonesia is hosting what is being called the world's biggest geothermal energy conference. The congress in Bali is an attempt to look at how to better develop geothermal power as an environmentally friendly fuel for the future.

Geothermal power is energy extracted from the heat stored in the Earth, and environmentalists say it could be the key to using cleaner forms of fuel. Representatives from 80 countries are attending the talks.

It is often dubbed volcano power but the correct scientific explanation for geothermal energy is power extracted from the heat stored in the Earth's core. Indonesia has ambitious plans to tap geothermal power and in particular the energy created by its volcanoes. The archipelago of more than 17,000 islands sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" - one of the most active regions in the world for volcanic activity.

Indonesia does not have the resources to be able to provide a consistent supply of electricity to all of its population, so finding an alternative source of energy is critical for south-east Asia's largest economy as it rapidly expands.