More geothermal problems

September hasn't been kind to geothermal power - first the AltaRock shutdown, then this:

Government officials here are reviewing the safety of a geothermal energy project that scientists say set off an earthquake in mid-August, shaking buildings and frightening many residents of [Landau, Germany].

Like other earthquakes that have been attributed to geothermal plants, the Landau temblor was sudden and brief and was accompanied by a sound that in some cases has been likened to a sonic boom. There were no injuries and there was no known structural damage to buildings in the city. But the 2.7 magnitude quake has stoked fears and set off debate in the state Parliament, which subsidized the construction of the plant, about the method’s safety.

At this rate, reputational obstacles may soon surmount (considerable!) practical ones:

But some experts in the field say they worry that projects like the one in Germany, if the managers deny responsibility for inducing earthquakes or play down the effects on people’s lives, could damage the reputation of geothermal energy, even in highly environmentally conscious areas of the world like California or Western Europe.

And these assets aren't even running yet; once they are the economics are pretty good, but the risk-return ratio is not very attractive for anyone considering a project from scratch.