Geothermal soon to power 6m homes in U.S.

A new survey released today by the Geothermal Energy Association (GEA) has identified new geothermal power projects in the works that would roughly double U.S. geothermal power capacity.

Projects in Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming, when developed, would provide between 2,500 and 2,900 MW of new electric power capacity for the grid, roughly 6,000 MW, the group said today.

This would be enough electricity to meet the needs of about 6 million households, or enough to meet the household needs of San Francisco, San Diego and Los Angeles, combined.

Karl Gawell, GEA's Executive Director, reviewed the results at a press conference today in San Francisco.

"The surge in new geothermal power development continues in the U.S.," Gawell stated.

According to the Geothermal Energy Association's new report, as of May 2007 there were 75 new geothermal power projects underway in 12 states, an increase of 14 projects in an additional three states compared to a survey completed just last November.

"New federal and state initiatives to promote geothermal energy are paying off," said Gawell. "State renewable standards coupled with the federal production tax credit are creating a renaissance in U.S. geothermal power production."

As of May 10, 2007, geothermal electric power was generated in 5 U.S. states: Alaska, California, Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah, with Idaho and Wyoming soon to be added to the list.

According to Gawell, the most significant catalyst behind this new industry activity was the Energy Policy Act in 2005. The act made new geothermal plants eligible for the full federal production tax credit, previously available only to wind projects. It also authorized and directed increased funding for research by the Department of Energy, and gave the Bureau of Land Management new legal guidance and funding to address its backlog of geothermal leases and permits.

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