Geothermal areas in the western United States are usually found where there has been relatively recent volcanic activity. The most promising sites in the Northwest are in the basin and range country of southeastern Oregon, and along the Cascades in Oregon, Washington and northern California. Virtually all of the geothermal electric generation developed in the U.S. so far has been in California, Nevada and Utah. Delivered costs depend on ownership arrangements, financing, transmission, the quality of the resource, and the size of the project. Geothermal plants are built of modular parts, with most projects including one or more 25-50 MW turbines.
Geothermal plants are relatively capital-intensive, with low variable costs and no fuel costs.
Economic Benefits Geothermal power, like all renewable resources, keeps economic benefits local. The most promising geothermal project sites are in rural areas. Geothermal power provides local jobs, retains dollars locally, pays local property taxes, and contributes royalties to the local county to support services. There are several types of geothermal resources. Most of the installed geothermal electrical generating plants use either flash or binary technologies.