 Hellsgate National Park in Kenya's Rift Valley, 100km from the country's capital, where natural geological processes have led to the creation of spectacular landscapes. The local mass-like community call the area Orcaria. Kilometres below the surface, steam vents lie deep underground. Steam fields like these stretch all the way down the Rift Valley, from Ethiopia to Kenya and Tanzania. These ancient underground resources are key to ensuring Kenya's energy future is clean and resilient. Over the past 50 years, Kenya has increasingly harnessed geothermal steam to generate electricity for the nation. Geothermal power production in Orcaria began in the early 1980s with a 45 megawatt Orcaria 1 power plant. Further steam wells and power plants continue to be developed. And today geothermal provides almost 50% of Kenya's power and a globally competitive skilled workforce. Expectations are high that geothermal resources up and down the Rift Valley will continue to be exploited to support development in the region. SEI research conducted through the EU-funded Transurus Project explores how geothermal can play a central role in driving Kenya's economy, whilst also contributing to global climate change mitigation. This research shows that as geothermal has grown, so too have the challenges it faces, placing increased pressure on both the government and the private sector to pursue further development in a responsible manner. Geothermal remains a risky business with high upfront costs, drilling just one exploration well costs millions of dollars. Meanwhile, infrastructure development in protected areas such as Hell's Gate National Park continues to draw concern from conservationists worried about how industrial traffic, noise pollution and reshaped terrain will affect wildlife, habitats and migratory routes. But it is land issues that remain the most politically sensitive challenge. In Orcaria, the local pastoralist community have lived there for generations, tending to their livestock in the fertile landscape. Geothermal development close to their settlements led to the relocation of 150 households to an area 10 kilometres southeast of Orcaria. The community have welcomed much of the material compensation, such as land ownership, upgraded housing, a school and a dispensary. But many lament the loss of ancestral lands and the distances they now need to travel to find fertile land for their livestock. Many fear they will lose their traditional way of life and some fear continued development might require them to relocate once more. Geothermal development in Kenya has largely focused on nurturing a new industry and building technical expertise. Further development is going to require increased focus on social and political dimensions, on ensuring the benefits of geothermal development are shared equitably. In 2015, the government put forward a new energy bill supporting greater benefit sharing at the local level. Three years later, it is still to be approved. Time will tell whether this will happen and whether it will have any real impact.