U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, center, has a small talk with her counterparts before a plenary session in the G-7 ministers' meeting on climate, energy and environment in Sapporo, northern Japan, Saturday, April 15, 2023. – Japan and the United States agreed Saturday to cooperate on developing geothermal energy, one of the most plentiful resources on this volcanic island chain.
It calls for collaborating in research and development and exchange of information and in pursuing geothermal projects in the U.S., Japan and other countries. It's one of an array of areas where the two countries intend to collaborate in reducing reliance on fossil fuels and cutting carbon emissions that contribute to climate change.
Adding more geothermal power could make it possible for Japan to provide 90% of its power generation from renewable sources, according to an estimate by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. That would amount to a 92% reduction in the country's greenhouse gas emissions, it said in a recent study.