Fracking and hydraulic stimulation are often confused but differ significantly. Fracking involves injecting fluid at high pressure to create new fractures in shale rock to access gas, requiring many wells over large areas. Hydraulic stimulation injects water at lower pressure to improve flow through existing fractures in geothermal reservoirs, needing fewer wells over smaller areas. Additionally, fracking uses chemicals that can pollute water while stimulation uses only water. The environmental risks of large-scale fracking far exceed the limited risks of stimulation for geothermal energy.