Advances made by industry and governmental research efforts have made the expansion of geothermal resource potential and production possible. The efficiency of geothermal power plants has increased significantly since the mid-1970 s. The original plants installed at The Geysers geothermal field in California in 1960 used about 20 lbs. of steam per kilowatt-hour of electricity generated. The newest plants in this field, installed in the late 1980 s, use only 14.5 lbs. of steam per kilowatt-hour, for a gain in efficiency of steam utilization of 28 percent. Overall the cost of generating power from geothermal resources has decreased about 50 percent over the past two decades.
Geothermal energy is America s leading renewable energy export.
Geothermally produced electricity provides an economic benefit to the nation, in that the electricity is dependable, has high availability for use, and is produced from a domestic source. Further, sales of electricity, of technical know-how, and of U.S. made equipment, both within the U.S. and abroad, provide a significant benefits to the economy. For information about the Geothermal Energy Association , click here. All rights reserved Site design by Policy Communications, Inc.