SUN DAY CAMPAIGN
Fact Sheet: Status Report - Geothermal

Below please find an updated report/factsheet "Status Report - Geothermal." 

This is the latest update in what we hope will be a series of "status reports" on each of the cross-section of renewable energy and other sustainable energy technologies. In addition to the updated status reports on solar and wind sent last month, we hope to send updates on hydropower and bioenergy later this month. Other updates on energy storage, electric vehicles, and hydrogen may be compiled during the summer. 

Future updates will be published on a roughly quarterly basis. In addition to the preliminary information provided in this report (i.e., U.S. net electrical generation, installed capacity, capacity factors, and near-term forecasts) subsequent editions may include significantly more data and short facts (e.g., cost, employment, # of installations, heat pump and other thermal applications). 

We hope that you find this Status Report and those that will follow to be of use.  

U.S. NET ELECTRICAL GENERATION:
(in gigawatt-hours GWh) 

January 1 - March 31, 2023: 

4,100 - Total (0.41% of total net electrical generation by all sources, inc. small-scale PV) 

Source: "Electric Power Monthly," U.S. Energy Information Administration (May 24, 2023)  

https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/current_month/may2023.pdf [see Table ES1.B] 

January 1 - December 31, 2022: 

17,002 - Total (0.40% of total net electrical generation by all sources, inc. small-scale PV) 

Source: "Electric Power Monthly," U.S. Energy Information Administration (February 27, 2023)  

https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/archive/february2023.pdf [see Table ES1.B] 

January 1 - December 31, 2021: 

15,975 - Total (0.38% of total net electrical generation by all sources, inc. small-scale PV) 

Source: "Electric Power Annual," U.S. Energy Information Administration (November 7, 2022)  

https://www.eia.gov/electricity/annual/html/epa_01_01.html 

January 1 - December 31, 2020: 

15,890 - Total (0.39% of total net electrical generation by all sources, inc. small-scale PV) 

Source: "Electric Power Annual," U.S. Energy Information Administration (November 7, 2022)  

https://www.eia.gov/electricity/annual/html/epa_01_01.html 

January 1 - December 31, 2015: 

16,767 - Total (0.41% of total net electrical generation by all sources, inc. small-scale PV) 

Source: "Electric Power Monthly," U.S. Energy Information Administration (February 25, 2016)  

https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly [see Table ES1.B] 

January 1 - December 31, 2010: 

15,666 - Total (0.38% of total net electrical generation by all sources, inc. small-scale PV)  

Source: "Electric Power Monthly," U.S. Energy Information Administration (March xx, 2011)  

https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly [see Table ES1.B] 

INSTALLED GENERATING CAPACITY: 

(Data are provided for only utility-scale installations - i.e., >1-MW) 

March 31, 2023: 

4.12 GW (0.32% share of total available installed generating capacity) 

Source: "Energy Infrastructure Update," Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (May 15, 2023) https://cms.ferc.gov/media/energy-infrastructure-update-march-2023 

December 31, 2022: 

4.08 GW (0.32% share of total available installed generating capacity) 

Source: "Energy Infrastructure Update," Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (February 7, 2023) https://cms.ferc.gov/media/energy-infrastructure-update-december-2022 

December 31, 2021: 

3.94 GW (0.32% share of total available installed generating capacity) 

Source: "Energy Infrastructure Update," Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (March 8, 2022) https://cms.ferc.gov/media/energy-infrastructure-update-december-2021 

December 31, 2020: 

3.90 GW (0.32% share of total available installed generating capacity) 

Source: "Energy Infrastructure Update," Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (February 8, 2021)  

https://cms.ferc.gov/media/energy-infrastructure-update-december-2020 

December 31, 2015: 

3.91 GW (0.33% share of total available installed generating capacity) 

Source: "Energy Infrastructure Update," Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (February 2, 2016) 

https://www.ferc.gov/media/2699  

December 31, 2010: 

3.30 GW (0.29% share of total available installed generating capacity) 

Source: "Energy Infrastructure Update," Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (February 4, 2011) 

https://www.ferc.gov/sites/default/files/2020-05/12-10-energy-infrastructure.pdf 

AVERAGE ANNUAL CAPACITY FACTORS: 

(Capacity factors are a comparison of net generation with available capacity. They are available only for utility-scale installations.) 

Source: "Electric Power Monthly," U.S. Energy Information Administration (May 24, 2023)  

https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.php?t=table_6_07_b 

2023: January 1 - March  31 (average of preliminary monthly data) 

70.4% 

2022: (preliminary data) 

73.4%  

2021:  

69.8%  

2020: 

69.1%  

2015: 

71.9%  

2010:  

71.9%  

NEAR-TERM GROWTH FORECASTS: 

U.S. Energy Information Administration: U.S. electricity generation by geothermal is forecast to increase by 2.40% between 2022 and 2023. In 2024, U.S. electricity generation by geothermal is forecast remain unchanged from the 2023 level.  

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, "Short-Term Energy Outlook" (May 9, 2023)   

https://www.eia.gov/outlooks/steo/data/browser/#/?v=25 

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission: Additions of utility-scale geothermal between April 2023 and March 2026 could total 145-MW with 37-MW deemed "high probability additions". However, retirements are projected to total 35-MW. Net high-probability additions would bring total utility-scale geothermal generating capacity to 4.12-GW by March 2026; geothermal would then account for ~0.31% of total U.S. generating capacity. 

Source: "Energy Infrastructure Update," Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (May 15, 2023) https://cms.ferc.gov/media/energy-infrastructure-update-march-2023 

COST: 

The U.S. Department of Energy's Enhanced Geothermal Shot initiative aims to lower the cost of EGS projects 90% to $45 per MWh by 2035. It said that capturing even a "small fraction" of the U.S.'s geothermal resources could power more than 40 million homes.  

Source: U.S. Department of Energy (September 8, 2022)  

https://www.energy.gov/articles/doe-launches-new-energy-earthshot-slash-cost-geothermal-power