New Market Expansion: GEA Report Shows U.S. Geothermal Projects Increased 26% in Last Year
A new report from the Geothermal Energy Association shows that over the last year geothermal projects under development in the United States have grown 26%.
At the moment, there are 188 geothermal projects in development across 15 states. And, the projects are not limited to traditional geothermal hotspot states, such as California and Nevada. The last year has seen Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi start their first ever geothermal projects.
Collectively the 188 geothermal development schemes have a potential capacity of 7,875-megawatts, enough to provide power to 7.5 million people.
The reports shows the state of Nevada continues to be the Grand Poobah of new geothermal power with over 3,000 MW in development. The fastest growing geothermal energy states in the past year were Utah (quadrupled its capacity under development), New Mexico (tripled its capacity), Idaho (doubled its capacity), and Oregon (increased its capacity by 50%).
Geothermal Energy Association Executive Director, Karl Gawell says the report shows "Geothermal power can be a critical part of the answer to Global Warming. For example, California could achieve its 2020 goal for global warming emissions reductions just by keeping energy demand level and replacing its coal-fired generation with geothermal."
You can read the full April 2010 US Geothermal Power Production and Development Update [pdf], here.
Read the full story at the Geothermal Energy Association: Geothermal Grows 26% in 2009, GEA Identifies New Projects in 15 States [pdf]
Learn more about Geothermal Power at eBoom's Geothermal Energy Learning Page.
Nathanael Baker is the Managing Editor of EnergyBoom. He has researched and reported on the issues of renewable energy, sustainability, and climate change for over two years. He has provided research to the New York Times and The Economist, as well as being published on different media outlets including, The Energy Collective.
Energy Boom content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be advice regarding the investment merits of, or a recommendation regarding the purchase or sale of, any security identified on, or linked through, this site.
