Industry Analysis & Industry Trends
As a renewable energy source, geothermal development has lagged wind and solar power. Even though geothermal exhibits a higher availability rate, the viability of this energy being produced on a commercial scale is limited by geography, as deposits of high-temperature subsurface water are required to produce geothermal electricity. As such, the Geothermal Electricity Plant Operation industry is concentrated in the West region and led by California, where more than 80.0% of all US geothermal electricity is generated.
Despite the geographic limitations of geothermal development, several positive trends have contributed to strong growth during the past five years.... purchase to read more
Industry Report - Industry Products Chapter
Dry steam geothermal systems
Dry steam geothermal electricity plants account for about half of all US installed capacity. All of these plants are located in California. The dominance of dry steam systems relates to the technology being the oldest and easiest to implement. In these systems, naturally occurring steam of 150 degrees Celsius is pulled directly from a well head to power a turbine. Steam is then cooled in a condenser and reinjected into the earth as water. This segment has remained dominant during the past five years, but the other two types of geothermal power generation are gradually cutting into dry steam's majority share.
Flash geothermal systems
Like dry steam, all of the flash geothermal systems are located in California... purchase to read more