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The Sonoma Calpine 3 geothermal power station of The Geysers. Geothermal energy in the United States was first used for electric power production in 1960.The Geysers in Sonoma and Lake counties, California was developed into what is now the largest geothermal steam electrical plant in the world, at 1,517 megawatts.
Geothermal energy has been exploited as a source of heat and/or electric power for millennia. Geothermal heating, using water from hot springs, for example, has been used for bathing since Paleolithic times and for space heating since Roman times. Geothermal power (generation of electricity from geothermal energy), has been used since the 20th ...
Geothermal power is electrical power generated from geothermal energy. Technologies in use include dry steam power stations, flash steam power stations and binary cycle power stations. Geothermal electricity generation is currently used in 26 countries, [ 1 ] [ 2 ] while geothermal heating is in use in 70 countries.
Geothermal power stations in the United States are located exclusively within the Western United States where geothermal energy potential is highest. The highest concentrations are located in the Mayacamas Mountains and Imperial Valley of California , as well as in Western Nevada .
Geothermal energy has been employed by Icelanders since the Viking Age, with initial uses including washing and bathing. [2] Later, it began to be used to heat homes, greenhouses, and swimming pools, as well as to keep streets and sidewalks free of snow and ice. [2] Today, at least 90% of all homes in Iceland are heated with geothermal energy. [2]
Geothermal Energy is an underdeveloped energy resource and warrants further investigation and exploration. [2] According to the U.S. Department of Energy , Utah's geothermal capabilities alone, if fully developed, could provide 1/3 of the state's power needs.
In areas of high geothermal energy density, current technology allows for the generation of electrical power because of the corresponding high temperatures. Generating electrical power from geothermal resources requires no fuel while providing true baseload energy at a reliability rate that constantly exceeds 90%. [19]
The Geysers is the world's largest geothermal field, containing a complex of 18 geothermal power plants, drawing steam from more than 350 wells, located in the Mayacamas Mountains approximately 72 miles (116 km) north of San Francisco, California. Geysers produced about 20% of California's renewable energy in 2019. [4]