Geothermal energy currently accounts for just 0.4% of net electricity generation in the United States, despite the huge potential.
California is the US state that generates the most electricity from geothermal energy. At the end of 2021, the state produced about 70% of the nation’s utility-scale geothermal-sourced electricity, and geothermal power accounted for almost 6% of California’s utility-scale generation.
The Geysers in California is the world’s largest geothermal field, containing a complex of 18 geothermal power plants. It provides power to Sonoma, Mendocino, Lake, Marin, and Napa counties. This is the area where US opened its first commercial geothermal power plant in September 1960, initially producing eleven megawatts of net power.
Nevada is second ranked US state in generating power from geothermal energy, with the 24.2% share of total U.S. geothermal electricity generation.
Top five US states in producing geothermal power are California, Nevada, Utah, Oregon and Hawaii.
United States is the leading nation in producing geothermal power, followed by Indonesia, the Philippines, Turkey, and New Zealand. At the end of 2021, US had 3,722 MW of installed geothermal power capacity.
US doesn’t use more geothermal power because geothermal power plants have high upfront costs, primarily because of the expensive drilling.
The state of Utah has three active geothermal power plants—Blundell, Cove Fort, and Thermo—with the combined capacity of 73 MW.
At the end of 2021 Nevada had 18 geothermal power plants, with the total generating capability of over 600 MW.
20% of the Island of Hawai’i’s power comes from geothermal energy.