|
Geothermal
Geothermal's future
Geothermal is a relatively mature technology, which is both a blessing and a curse: it's proven and reliable, yet major new technological improvements will evolve slowly. It's therefore unlikely to come in much lower than its current ~5 to 6 cents per kWh without policy changes.
The United States Congress has considered, but not passed, legislation that would extend the production tax credit of 1.8 cents per kWh to geothermal electricity. If such legislation passes, then the levelized cost of geothermal electricity would drop by 25 to 44 percent according to NREL estimates, and there would likely be a boom in new geothermal development.
|
