Utility Industry Estimates of Geothermal Electricity

Abstract

The 1981 annual EPRI survey of the nation's electric utilities continues to show a rapid growth of geothermal electric generating capacity through the year 2000. Announced plans for geothermal capacity for 2000 has grown to 4480 Mwe, an increase of 36% from the 1980 survey. More than half of this capacity is from liquid dominated resources in the western state. Survey results are reinforced by data from the Western Systems Coordinating Council which indicate that geothermal electricity could account for 5% of the system's total energy requirement by 2000. Survey trends indicate that the possible growth of geothermal electricity could reach 10,800 MWe by 2000 representing an overall growth rate of 12% per annum over the rest of this century. Power plants size will vary. The fist generating unit at each new geothermal field is likely to be small. The minimum commercial size power plant will be as low as 1 MWe but is more likely to be in the range of 10-20 MWw for smaller utilities. About one third felt that 50 MWe would be the optimum commercial size while two thirds felt that 100 MWw would be optimum.