US geothermal capacity grows by 5% to 3,386 MW since March 2012

Feb 26, 2013 - The US Geothermal Energy Association (GEA) said today that the total installed geothermal capacity in the US was 3,386 MW, up 5% since March 2012.

GEA’s 2013 Annual Industry Update also revised its previous estimate of the total installed capacity lifting it by 128 MW to 3,386 MW.

The report pointed out that geothermal power plants are currently generating electricity in Alaska, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming. The projects under development were 175, with a combined potential capacity of between 5,150 MW and 5,523 MW. Of these, between 2,511 MW and 2,606 MW could be added to the total generation capacity over the next ten years.

GEA Executive Director Karl Gawell said that the US was headed towards achieving at least 6,000 MW of geothermal capacity over the next decade. He added that the government needed to offer more incentives to geothermal power investors and to cut the time needed to receive leases and permits for new projects in order to speed up the sector’s development.

Currently, California is the US and global leader in terms of installed geothermal capacity with 2,732.2 MW, followed by Nevada with 517.5 MW.

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