Editing Geothermal power in Iceland (section)

=== Geothermal energy in Iceland ===
[[File:Laugardalslaug.JPG|alt=A photo of the Laugardalslaug pool and bath complex in Reykjavík|thumb|A geothermally heated swimming pool complex in Iceland]]
Geothermal energy has been employed by Icelanders since the [[Viking Age]], with initial uses including washing and bathing.<ref name=":02" /> Later, it began to be used to heat homes, greenhouses, and swimming pools, as well as to keep streets and sidewalks free of snow and ice.<ref name=":02" /> Today, at least 90% of all homes in Iceland are heated with geothermal energy.<ref name=":02" />

The [[Blue Lagoon (geothermal spa)|Blue Lagoon]] is a prominent example of a geothermal bath.<ref name=":02" /> With a mix of seawater and discharge freshwater from the nearby [[Svartsengi Power Station]], the Blue Lagoon is 5,000 square meters in size and is Iceland's most popular tourist attraction.<ref name=":02" />

While geothermal energy has had many uses in Iceland throughout history, its use there for electricity generation did not come until relatively recently.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Logadóttir |first=Halla Hrund |date=December 2015 |title=Iceland's Sustainable Energy Story: A Model for the World? |url=https://www.un.org/en/chronicle/article/icelands-sustainable-energy-story-model-world |access-date=2022-10-29 |website=United Nations |language=en}}</ref> Iceland's power was largely derived from [[Fossil fuel|fossil fuels]] until the 1970s, when the national government looked to address energy price inequities across the country.<ref name=":22" /><ref name=":1" /> A report commissioned in 1970 by the country's National Energy Authority, Orkustofnun, recommended increased domestic production of geothermal power and [[hydroelectricity]] to stabilize energy prices and reduce the nation's reliance on external energy resources.<ref name=":22" /> In 1973, an international [[1970s energy crisis|energy crisis]] began, subjecting Iceland to highly volatile oil prices and an uncertain energy market.<ref name=":1" /> The crisis sparked Iceland's government to ramp up adoption of the domestic power sources identified by the National Energy Authority's report.<ref name=":22" /> The ensuing rapid growth of renewable energy production mostly originated from a geopolitical desire for energy independence and was catalyzed by the urgent economic constraints during the 1970s energy crisis.<ref name=":22" /> Since then, in addition to increasing Iceland's energy independence, it has also resulted in the widespread decarbonization of the country's electric grid.<ref name=":22" />