Dialing long distance: Harden joins Curry as the only NBA players to reach 3,000 3-pointers

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — James Harden has joined Golden State's Stephen Curry as the only NBA players to reach 3,000 career 3-pointers.

Harden hit the milestone in the first half of the Los Angeles Clippers' 126-122 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Sunday night. He hit three 3s in the first half and three more in the second half while leading the Clippers with 39 points.

“Another one of those accomplishments that you never take for granted,” Harden said. “The amount of work that I've put in — countless days and nights where I put the work in — a lot of people don't see it but the results happen, so I'm just thankful.”

Harden just missed a triple-double, with nine rebounds and 11 assists.

The achievement finished off a standout week for the 35-year-old guard. Harden scored 43 points — his most as a Clipper — in a road win over the Washington Wizards on Wednesday, his 100th career game of 40 or more. He joined Wilt Chamberlain, Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan as the only players to do so.

“He had that first quarter against Washington where he reminded people, ‘Hey, I can still go out here and drop 40 on you real quick,’” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said.

The Clippers are 13-9 without superstar Kawhi Leonard, who has yet to play this season while managing ongoing inflammation in his surgically repaired right knee.

Harden has been tasked with carrying a greater offensive load in Leonard's absence as well as Paul George leaving as a free agent in the offseason. He has responded and at times, like against the Wizards, his efforts have recalled his prolific scoring years with the Houston Rockets.

Malone noted that Harden has matured and responded to what's been asked of him as a point guard.

“He makes almost every key decision for their offense,” the coach said. ”He can beat you with his playmaking as well, and that shows you the talent, that shows you the quality of his game, where he's not solely the scorer.”

Harden is also mentoring the team's younger players, a role he describes as “very, very comfortable” for him.

“It’s easy for me just because I’ve been in this situation for a lot of my NBA career. Just helping guys as much as I can to where it makes the game a lot easier for them," he said. “It's really fun.”

Norman Powell said he and the other Clippers love to play with Harden because they know he'll get them the ball.

“It's difficult to see from afar,” Powell said, “but on the floor knowing when to attack, knowing when to get his shot off, when to get the guys open, the pass that he makes. He knows how to get guys open and to get the most out of the team.”

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Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden, right, shoots as Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden, right, shoots as Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon, right, passes the ball as Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden, right, drives toward the basket as Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray defends during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden looks toward the scoreboard after making a three-point shot that put him at 2,998 points for three-point shots during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Denver Nuggets, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Providing round-the-clock energy, using minimal space and considered a clean source of power — geothermal energy seems like an ideal option for countries like Indonesia and the Philippines, where the potential is high, and governments are seeking to transition away from highly polluting fossil fuels.

Yet most of the potential of geothermal energy, created by harnessing heat produced by the earth from underground reservoirs of hot water to power turbines that generate electricity, remains untapped in these countries and across the world — as financial, regulatory and community roadblocks have stalled growth.

More readily available financing and domestic regulatory changes are starting to address these barriers, but experts say more should be done to unlock the vast clean energy source trapped just beneath the Earth’s surface.

Countries with high geothermal potential — such as the United States, Indonesia and the Philippines — are usually located close to tectonically active regions where hot water or steam is naturally carried to the Earth’s surface through volcanic activity, or can be accessed by shallow drilling.

“We’re essentially standing on our own sun, which we can get clean, reliable energy from,” said Marit Brommer, CEO of the International Geothermal Association based in Germany.

Experts also laud geothermal plants for their ability to operate continuously to meet the minimum level of power demanded around-the-clock, unaffected by weather, with long lifespans and minimal maintenance.

As countries shift towards renewable and cleaner energy, geothermal use is expected to grow: In Southeast Asia, geothermal power generation is expected to increase tenfold from 2020 to 2050, reaching 276 million megawatt-hours, according to the International Energy Agency.

With their steaming volcanoes and bubbling lakes, Indonesia and the Philippines — two archipelagic Southeast Asian countries located on the seismically active “Ring of Fire” — are the second and third-largest users of geothermal energy in the world, with some of the highest geothermal energy potential. The U.S. is number one.

Yet Indonesia uses less a tenth of its gargantuan reserves, making up 6% of its power supply. In the Philippines, about 8% of geothermal capacity has been developed, constituting 14.6% of the country's energy use, the country's largest source of renewable energy.

Both countries plan to expand use of geothermal energy as they transition away from fossil fuels: Indonesia aims to increase the share of geothermal power generation by at least 8% by 2030, making it the second-largest renewable energy source after hydropower. The Philippine government is targeting several projects to boost geothermal capacity by adding nearly 1.5 gigawatts, nearly doubling its current use.

But the exploratory stage of geothermal development — when companies do tests and drilling to confirm the size, temperature, pressure, and potential production rates of sites — is expensive and risky. That makes it hard to attract finance for development, said Shigeru Yamamura, an energy specialist at the Asia Development Bank.

“That’s the most difficult part of developers, because (financially) they cannot take 100% of the exploration risk themselves,” Yamamura told The Associated Press.

Climate finance for geothermal development is limited for most Southeast Asian nations, accounting for only 9% of finance available for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations — a political and economic bloc of ten states in the region, which includes Indonesia and the Philippines.

A 2024 ASEAN energy report said “blended finance” using both public and private sources, grants and green bonds could help bridge the gap.

The Philippine government has announced green energy auction schemes for geothermal energy and is preparing a “smart green grid plan” that prioritizes renewable energy — vital to enable private developers to get financing from banks. This signals progress in policy support for investment, Yamamura said.

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has focused on geothermal as part of the country's energy transition. The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources says it's working to shorten permitting times and considering ways to increase rates of return on investments in geothermal projects. The state electric utility, Perusahaan Listrik Negara, also said it's committed to ramping up geothermal energy development.

The World Bank is providing a $150 million loan to scale up Indonesian investments in geothermal energy by reducing the risks of early-stage exploration. The Green Climate Fund and the Clean Technology Fund are providing a $127.5 million.

Even when finance is secured, community pushback can slow development.

In Indonesia, residents of villages have protested projects, citing safety and environmental concerns: Several geothermal sites in Indonesia have had deadly gas leaks in the past five years.

Some Indonesian communities don't understand what geothermal energy is and how they could benefit from its development, said Timothy Ravis, a doctoral student in global development at Cornell University.

Protests at geothermal sites in the Philippines have led at least one company to pay royalties to Indigenous groups worried about land degradation caused by geothermal development.

Governments and businesses should work to gain the consent of communities near projects to help ensure they succeed, said Brommer.

“We need to show that this development benefits all people, not just a company,” she said. “It's not about being a good neighbor, it's about being the best neighbor and really working with communities to respect their concerns."

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Farmers tend to their field in Dieng, Central Java, Indonesia, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Beawiharta)

Farmers carry newly-harvested cabbages to a waiting truck as steam rises from a geothermal power plant in Dieng, Central Java, Indonesia, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Beawiharta)

A farmer tends to a field as steam rises from a geothermal power plant in Dieng, Central Java, Indonesia, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Beawiharta)

Farmers tend to their field as steam rises from a geothermal power plant in Dieng, Central Java, Indonesia, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Beawiharta)

Farmers weigh cabbages as steam rises from a geothermal power plant in Dieng, Central Java, Indonesia, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Beawiharta)

Cars drive on a road as steam rises from a geothermal power plant in Dieng, Central Java, Indonesia, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Beawiharta)

Steam rises from a geothermal power plant in Dieng, Central Java, Indonesia, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Beawiharta)

Steam rises from a geothermal power plant as a motorist rides past by in Dieng, Central Java, Indonesia, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Beawiharta)

A motorist rides past a geothermal power plant in Dieng, Central Java, Indonesia, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Beawiharta)

Farmers walk by as steam rises from a geothermal power plant in Dieng, Central Java, Indonesia, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Beawiharta)