Geothermal Energy John McCaull Geothermal Energy Association

Geothermal Energy

John McCaull

Geothermal Energy Association

The Earth Holds Enormous Energy

And it can be found almost everywhere

Overview: US Installed Capacity

Total Capacity: 3102 MW

2010 Capacity Addition: 15 MW, Nevada, Ormat

States with Capacity (MW): • California, 2566 • Nevada, 442• Utah, 42• Hawaii, 35 • Idaho, 16 • Alaska, 0.73 • Oregon, 0.28 • Wyoming, 0.25 • New Mexico, 0.24

What is happening with geothermal electric power

production in the US?The industry is building new

power plants!

Enel Salt Wells Power Plant

NGP Blue Mountain Faulkner No 1 Power Plant

Oregon Institute of Technology 280 kW Power Plant

US Installed Capacity

Geothermal Capacity Additions in 2010: 15 MW, Nevada Annual 2010 addition (15 MW) down from 2009 (176 MW)

Economic Downturn made project financing more difficult Permitting process delaying some projects

Capacity in Development

• Confirmed Geothermal Resources in Development: 3633 – 4050 MW• Confirmed + Unconfirmed Resources in Development: 4448 – 5040 MW• Planned Capacity Additions (PCA) in Development: 1377 – 1393 MW

– Advanced Phase PCA (Phase 3 and 4): 756 – 722 MW

0.4

UTNV

CA

HI

States w/Capacity, 2005

States w/Capacity vs Development, 2011

Projected GrowthDeloitte Market Analysis Report to DOE (9/2008)

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

16000

18000

20000

1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030

EGS

Hydrothermal

Emerging Resources/New Applications Expand Reach of Geothermal Energy

• Small Heat and Power Systems – expand geothermal into distributed generation

• Co-production from oil/gas wells and geopressured resources –potential in many non-Western states, particularly the Gulf of Mexico.

• Enhanced Geothermal Systems/Deep Geothermal – potential nationwide and worldwide (witness recent Google announcement on finding 18,000 MW of geothermal in West Virginia!)

CEC Comparison of Levelized Costs

Geothermal Energy is Good for the Environment

Comparison of Life-Cycle EmissionsTons of Carbon Dioxide Equivalent per

Gigawatt-Hour1,041

622

46 39 18 17 15 14

Coal Natural Gas Biomass Solar PV Hydro Nuclear Geothermal Wind

Source: "Life-Cycle Assessment of Electricity Generation Systems and Applications for Climate Change Policy Analysis," Paul J. Meier, University of Wisconsin-Madison, August 2002.

For More Information

Geothermal Energy Assn209 Pennsylvania Ave SE

Washington, D.C. 20006 USAwww.geo-energy.orgkarl@geo-energy.org

202-454-5264