Increasing Geothermal Electricity Generation 26-Fold by 2050

To evaluate the potential for geothermal energy to contribute to America’s energy future, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Geothermal Technologies Office initiated the GeoVision analysis—a detailed research effort to explore opportunities for increased geothermal deployment and the pathways necessary to overcome technical and non-technical barriers to such deployment. The analysis evaluated opportunities for successful geothermal deployment based on three key objectives:

Increased access to geothermal resources

Reduced costs and improved economics for geothermal projects

Improved education and outreach about geothermal energy.

The GeoVision analysis used rigorous quantitative models to assess geothermal deployment potential under scenarios that considered a range of technologies, market conditions, and barriers. The analysis determined that achieving all three key objectives can reduce risk and costs for geothermal developers, increase growth potential for geothermal energy, and provide the United States with secure, flexible energy that offers economic benefits to the geothermal industry and environmental benefits nationwide. The analysis projected that, through technology improvements, geothermal electricity generation capacity has the potential to increase to more than 60 gigawatts by 2050—providing 8.5% of all U.S. electricity generation.