Geothermal is one of those things that politicians love to love. The promise of a future secure through abundant energy comes through the essentially inexhaustible power from Earth’s own core.

If there ever was a pol who venerated geothermal, it is Gov. Neil Abercrombie, who just returned from a Big Island visit, where he brought an almost messianic adoration of geothermal energy.

"If there is anything on Earth, or in Earth, that says to us as a species, as stewards of this planet, that here is a resource for your utilization and for your proper regard, and to be a steward of, it’s geothermal. And the Big Island could not be better situated for it," Abercrombie said according to a Hilo Tribune-Herald report.

Abercrombie has taken his campaign for re-election on the road and spent last week in Hilo and on Maui signing bills passed by the Legislature.

While at the Yacht Club in Hilo, Abercrombie tried to nudge the semi-autonomous Public Utilities Commission, urging the swift approval of geothermal permissions.

"I hope this will act as an incentive and as an urging, to the (Public Utilities Commission) and to public opinion on the opportunity to move forward on the incredible geothermal resources that exist here on the Big Island," Abercrombie said.

The thing about loving geothermal energy is that it is best done from afar.

Abercrombie may say "geothermal is just fabulous," as he did two years ago during another Big Island speech, but it is doubtful he and his wife would want their retirement home next to an active geothermal well.

Those things have a lot of problems.

The only active geothermal well in the state is the 38-megawatt Puna Geothermal Venture (PGV) plant. Hawaii Electric Light Company wants to crank up another 50 megawatts and Abercrombie once said he could envision 1,000 megawatts produced on the Big Island.

Billy Kenoi, the Big Island mayor, who does have to live closer to the well, held a fact-finding study last year and what he found was the well has the potential for health risk, according to a report in West Hawaii Today.

"Risks from geothermal energy production in lower Puna exist," the newspaper quoted from the report.

"The actual extent and impacts of those risks remains unresolved. What is known is that hazardous chemicals are brought up by PGV. PGV adds industrial chemicals to the mix in the process and then sends the composite fluid back down. However, fluids inevitably escape to air, water or at surface level."

Two months ago, the Environmental Protection Agency cited the Puna well for 14 violations, of which 10 have now been corrected.

Abercrombie’s Democratic primary opponent, state Sen. David Ige, has not taken a position on geothermal well expansion.

Environmentalist Henry Curtis in his blog writes that even though geothermal energy is widely available, it accounts for less than 1 percent of the U.S. electricity production, so it has not been the go-to solution for cheap energy.

It is said that for every problem, there is a solution that is easy, simple, cheap and wrong.

It just may be that despite Abercrombie’s infatuation, geothermal energy is not the easy solution to Hawaii’s energy needs.

Richard Borreca writes on politics on Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays. Reach him at rborreca@staradvertiser.com.