Geothermal energy in the United States
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![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6b/Sonoma_Plant_at_The_Geysers_4778.png/300px-Sonoma_Plant_at_The_Geysers_4778.png)
Geothermal energy in the United States was first used for electric power production in 1960.
History
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/ba/GeysersGeothermalDrilling1977.jpg/220px-GeysersGeothermalDrilling1977.jpg)
Archaeological evidence documents that geothermal resources have been in use in the
Near Several small power plants were built during the late 1980s in the Basin and Range geologic province in Nevada, southeastern Oregon, southwestern Idaho, Arizona and western Utah. is now an area of rapid geothermal development.[6]
In the Salton Sea, as of 2001, 15 geothermal plants were producing electricity. Hudson Ranch I geothermal plant, a 50 MW plant opened in May 2012. A second similar plant was to open in 2013.[7]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/52/Geothermal_resource_map_US.png/300px-Geothermal_resource_map_US.png)
The most significant development catalyst is the Energy Policy Act of 2005. This Act made new geothermal plants eligible for the full federal production tax credit, previously available only to wind power projects and certain kinds of biomass. It also authorized and directed increased funding for research by the Department of Energy, and enabled the Bureau of Land Management to address its backlog of geothermal leases and permits.[8]
In April 2008,
In 2009, investment bank Credit Suisse calculated that geothermal power costs 3.6 cents per kilowatt-hour, versus 5.5 cents per kilowatt-hour for coal, if geothermal receives subsidized loans.[11]
A report released in late May 2019 by the Department of Energy suggests that US geothermal power capacity could increase by more than twenty-six times by 2050, reaching a capacity of 60 GW, thanks to accelerated technological development and adoption. The report documented the benefits of geothermal power for residential and industrial heating.[12] Energy Secretary Rick Perry announced his Department had provided funding for a $140-million research facility at the University of Utah on man-made geothermal energy.[13]
In 2018 the Department of Energy (DOE), launched the Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy (FORGE).[14]
In 2018, due to volcanic activity the Puna Geothermal Venture in Hawaii had to be closed and was inundated by lava flows.[15] It reopened in November 2020.[16]
In 2023, Houston-based startup
Production
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/79/2015-04-17_Geothermal_Capacity.jpg/300px-2015-04-17_Geothermal_Capacity.jpg)
With 3,900 MW of installed geothermal capacity as of 2023, the US remains the world leader with about 25% of the online capacity total.[19] The future outlook for expanded production from conventional and enhanced geothermal systems is positive as new technologies promise increased growth in locations previously not considered.[10]
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By state
Geothermal production in terrawatt hours (TWh) by state as of December 2023[21][22]
State | Production (TWh) | Share of U.S total |
---|---|---|
California | 10,962 | 66.6% |
Nevada | 4,296 | 26.1% |
Utah | 521 | 3.2% |
Hawaii | 348 | 2.1% |
Oregon | 212 | 1.3% |
Idaho | 86 | 0.5% |
New Mexico[23] | 36 | 0.2% |
Total | 16,462 | 100% |
Geysers
The Geysers has 1517
Salton Sea
Another major geothermal area is located in south central California, on the southeast side of the Salton Sea, near Niland and Calipatria, California. 15 geothermal plants combine for a capacity of about 570 MW. CalEnergy owns about half of them and the rest are owned by various companies.[7]
Basin and Range
The
.Hawaii
Puna Geothermal Venture operates a geothermal power plant in
Reliability
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/46/McGinness_Hills_Pipelines_with_Expansion_Joints.jpg/250px-McGinness_Hills_Pipelines_with_Expansion_Joints.jpg)
Unlike power sources such as wind and solar, geothermal energy is dispatchable, meaning that it is both available whenever needed, and can quickly adjust output to match demand. According to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), of all types of new electrical generation plants, geothermal generators have the highest capacity factor, a measure of how much power a facility actually generates as a percent of its maximum capacity.[31]
The EIA rates new geothermal plants as having a 92% capacity factor, comparable to those of nuclear (90%), and higher than gas (87%), or coal (85%), and much higher than those of intermittent sources such as onshore wind (34%) or solar photovoltaic (25%).[32] While the carrier medium for geothermal electricity (water) must be properly managed, the source of geothermal energy, the Earth's heat, will be available, for most intents and purposes, indefinitely.[3][dead link][33]
National Geothermal Data System
The US operates the National Geothermal Data System (NGDS). Through the NGDS, many older paper archives and drill logs stored at state geological surveys are now being digitized and made available for free to the public.[34]
Cost
The initial cost for the field and power plant is around $2500 per installed kW in the U.S., probably $3000 to $5000/kWe for a small (<1Mwe) power plant. Operating and maintenance costs range from $0.01 to $0.03 per kWh.[35]
— US Department of Energy, 2022
Environmental effects
The underground hot water and steam used to generate geothermal power may contain chemical pollutants, such as hydrogen sulfide (H
2S).
H
2S is toxic in high concentrations, and is sometimes found in geothermal systems.[36] Newer production methods separate the hot steam collected underground from the steam used to power turbines, and substantially reduce the risk of releasing contaminants.[37]
The water mixed with the steam contains dissolved salts that can damage pipes and harm aquatic ecosystems.[38] Some subsurface water associated with geothermal sources contains high concentrations of toxic elements such as boron, lead, and arsenic.
Injection of water in enhanced geothermal systems may
"Possible effects include scenery spoliation, drying out of hot springs, soil erosion, noise pollution, and chemical pollution of the atmosphere and of surface- and groundwaters."[40]
See also
- Geothermal desalination
- Geothermal Energy Association
- Geothermal Resources Council
- Commons:Category:Maps of geothermal resources of the United States
- List of hot springs in the United States
US renewables:
- Renewable energy in the United States
- Biofuel in the United States
- Hydroelectric power in the United States
- Solar power in the United States
- Wind power in the United States
International:
- List of renewable energy topics by country
References
- ^ "Geothermal Energy | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service". www.fws.gov. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
- ^ "Solving geothermal energy's earthquake problem". news.stanford.edu. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
- ^ a b c "Geo-energy.org" (PDF). www.geo-energy.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 12, 2007.
- ISSN 0276-1084, archived from the original(PDF) on June 17, 2010, retrieved April 13, 2009
- ISSN 1556-7230. Archived from the original(PDF) on May 16, 2016.
- ^ a b "Geothermal Resources". NV Energy. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
- ^ a b 49.9-MW Hudson Ranch I Geothermal Plant Unveiled in California, Meg Cichon, RenewableEnergyWorld.com
- ^ "TOTO MACAU - DATA TOTO MACAU - PENGELUARAN TOTO MACAU - RESULT TOTO MACAU". TOTO MACAU - DATA TOTO MACAU - PENGELUARAN TOTO MACAU - RESULT TOTO MACAU. Archived from the original on May 27, 2007.
{{cite web}}
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suggested) (help) - ^ Gail Kinsey-Hill (June 3, 2008). "Company Seeks Power From Crater". Vancouver Sun. p. B2.
- ^ a b "News Archives". Renewable Energy World.
- ^ Christopher Mims “Can Geothermal Power Compete with Coal on Price?” Scientific American, 2 March 2009. Web. 9 Oct. 2009.
- ^ "DOE Releases New Study Highlighting the Untapped Potential of Geothermal Energy in the United States". U.S. Department of Energy. May 30, 2019. Retrieved June 3, 2019.
- ^ McCombs, Brady (May 30, 2019). "Trump administration doubles down on fossil fuels". Associated Press (via LA Times). Retrieved June 3, 2019.
- ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
- ^ "Ash reaches nearly 15,000 feet after latest explosion at Halemaumau Crater". May 28, 2018.
- ^ "Puna Geothermal Venture Goes Back Online". www.bigislandvideonews.com.
- ^ Gallucci, Maria (November 28, 2023). "America's first 'enhanced' geothermal plant just got up and running". Canary Media. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
- ^ Fervo Energy (February 12, 2024). "Fervo Energy Drilling Results Show Rapid Advancement of Geothermal Performance". fervoenergy.com. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
- ^ GeoEnergy, Think (January 8, 2024). "ThinkGeoEnergy's Top 10 Geothermal Countries 2023 – Power Generation Capacity". Retrieved May 29, 2024.
- ^ "Geothermal net electricity generation in the United States from 2005 to 2023". Statista. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
- ^ Geothermal explained, U.S. Energy Information Administration, April 3, 2024, accessed June 25, 2024
- ^ Table 1.16.B. Utility Scale Facility Net Generation from Geothermal by State, U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, February 2024, accessed June 25, 2024
- ^ Danko, Pete. New Mexico joins the geothermal power ranks. Geothermal Power. Renewable Energy. Earth Techling. http://www.earthtechling.com/2014/01/new-mexico-joins-the-geothermal-power-ranks/. Accessed 6 February 2014.
- ISBN 978-0-7506-8620-4.
- ^ Lund, John W.; Bloomquist, R. Gordon; Boyd, Tonya L.; Renner, Joel (April 24–29, 2005), "The United States of America Country Update" (PDF), Archived copy, Proceedings World Geothermal Congress, Antalya, Turkey, archived from the original (PDF) on September 27, 2012, retrieved November 9, 2009
{{citation}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ All figures adjusted to include recently reopened Bottle Rock Power plant.
- ^ "NCPA | Northern California Power Agency". Retrieved April 7, 2022.
- ^ "Electric Utility". October 11, 2007. Archived from the original on October 11, 2007. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
- ^ Baker, David R. (January 14, 2007). "Steamy industry may clear the air". San Francisco Chronicle. Lake County. p. F-1. Retrieved November 9, 2009.
- ^ Dobbyn, Paula (July 8, 2023). "Puna Geothermal Plant Runs Into Problems Ramping Up Production". Honolulu Civil Beat. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
- ^ US Energy Information Administration, Levelized cost of new generation resources, Annual Energy Outlook 2013, 15 April 2013.
- ^ US Energy Information Administration, Levelized cost of new generation resources, Annual Energy Outlook 2013, 15 April 2013.
- ^ Geothermal 101: Basics of Geothermal Energy Production and Use p. 5 & 7. Archived March 6, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "New Geothermal Data System Could Open Up Clean-Energy Reserves". Scientific American, William Ferguson on February 25, 2013
- ^ "Geothermal FAQs". Energy.gov. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
- ^ McFarland, Ernest L. “Geothermal Energy.” Macmillan Encyclopedia of Energy. Ed. Ed John Zumerchik. Vol. 2. New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2001. 572-579. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 9 Oct. 2009.
- ^ Raser Technologies - How Modular Geothermal Power Generation Works Archived 2011-07-03 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ “Alternative Energy Sources.” UXL Encyclopedia of Science. Ed. Rob Nagel. 2nd ed. Detroit: UXL, 2007. Student Resource Center Gold. Web. 9 Oct. 2009.
- ^ Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, The Geysers
- S2CID 131145568. Retrieved September 23, 2013.
External links
- GA Mansoori, N Enayati, LB Agyarko (2016), Energy: Sources, Utilization, Legislation, Sustainability, Illinois as Model State, World Sci. Pub. Co., ISBN 978-981-4704-00-7
- Geothermal Energy Association
- Geothermal Resources Council
- Geothermal Lease Auction Signals New Trend in US
- The Status of the US Geothermal Industry
- Scaling Geothermal for Reliable Baseload Power
- Technological Innovation Driving Renewed Interest in Geothermal Energy
- Interior Department To Open 190 Million Acres to Geothermal Power
- Raser Ready to Deliver Power from Thermo Plant
- A History of Geothermal Energy in the United States
- Geothermal energy prospect in the United States
- Hawaii Groundwater & Geothermal Resources Center by the University of Hawaii at Manoa
- The Geothermal Collection by UH Manoa
- M 5.0 - 8km NW of The Geysers, California – United States Geological Survey