Geothermal Resource
Google.org:   RE<C
Google.org

Overview
Overview&nbsp;&nbsp;&#124;&nbsp;&nbsp;Geothermal Energy&nbsp;&nbsp;&#124;&nbsp;&nbsp;About the Data
&nbsp;
Continental U.S.
Geothermal Resource (3-10 km Depth)
Total Generation Capacity 2006
&nbsp;&nbsp;(All Sources: Coal, Gas, etc.):
981,800 &nbsp; MW &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Enhanced Geothermal Potential
&nbsp;&nbsp;(2% Recovery):
2,072,100 &nbsp; MW &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
&nbsp;&nbsp;(20% Recovery):
20,721,005 &nbsp; MW &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) harness the essentially unlimited heat of the earth to generate baseload renewable electricity. The maps and placemarks in this Google Earth layer depict the geothermal resource distribution and generation potential of the continental U.S. (48 states), for 3 to 10 kilometers depth, assuming 2% recovery. All 50 U.S. states have geothermal resources between 3 - 10 km depth.
For more information visit: www.google.org/egs.
Explore the layer using the Places panel
Click Overview to read about the content.
Select the 3-D folder to see EGS potential mapped by state.
Select overlays to see temperature at other depths.
www.google.org/egs |

Geothermal Energy
Overview&nbsp;&nbsp;&#124;&nbsp;&nbsp;Geothermal Energy&nbsp;&nbsp;&#124;&nbsp;&nbsp;About the Data
&nbsp;
Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS)
U.S. Geothermal Resource
Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) produce heat and electricity by harnessing the energy from hot rock below the earth's surface. The traditional geothermal process, called hydrothermal geothermal, relies on finding naturally occurring pockets of steam and hot water. The EGS process, by comparison, replicates natural conditions by fracturing hot rock, circulating water through the system, and using the resulting steam to produce electricity in a conventional turbine. The water is then re-injected back into the rock, where the cycle begins again in a closed loop. Since EGS' only prerequisite is heat, it can be deployed nearly anywhere there is rock hot enough to produce power (typically above 150 °C). Geothermal resources are baseload, generating power 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Hydrothermal geothermal has been producing electricity for over 100 years in regions such as Iceland, Italy, California, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Hydrothermal resources are also commonly used for residential, municipal, and industrial heating. Approximately 9,000 MW of hydrothermal generation capacity is currently installed around the world. EGS expands the potential of geothermal energy by orders of magnitude.
For more information on Geothermal and EGS:
U.S. Department of Energy Geothermal Technologies Program
Southern Methodist University Geothermal Lab
Geothermal Energy Associaion
International Geothermal Association
Geothermal Resources Council
www.google.org/egs |

About the Data
Overview&nbsp;&nbsp;&#124;&nbsp;&nbsp;Geothermal Energy&nbsp;&nbsp;&#124;&nbsp;&nbsp;About the Data
&nbsp;
U.S. Geothermal Resource
About the Maps
(Temperature Depth Maps):
These maps are based on the United States Temperature at Depth Maps produced by the Southern Methodist University Geothermal Laboratory for the 2006 MIT Report: "The Future of Geothermal Energy - Impact of Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) on the U.S. in the 21st Century." The temperature contours are calculated from existing site and geological data.
About the Generation Potential Estimates
(Resources by State):
This layer estimates the electric power generation potential (for a 30-year project life and using current technology), with the conservative assumption of a 2% recovery factor, from the geothermal resource of the United States between 3 - 10 km depth. The recovery factor refers to the fraction of thermal energy underground (between 3-10 km) that can be recovered through wells. The estimates here are further conservative because, following the 2006 MIT report, the EGS reservoir is assumed to be cooled by only 10ºC from its initial temperature over 30 years; the actual extent of cooling could be much higher, and as such, heat recovery much higher. Geothermal systems recharge their heat naturally and can sustain power production beyond 30 years. As EGS technology and our knowledge of the resource characteristics improve, these figures would grow. For comparison, also included are the estimates for electric power generation potential for a more optimistic but plausible recovery factor of 20%.
These estimates are based on the "resource base" estimates, power conversion methodologies, and assumptions in Chapter 2 and Chapter 3 of the 2006 MIT report, "The Future of Geothermal Energy." In terms of total thermal energy stored 3 - 10 km beneath the continental 48 states, 2% of the resource equals over 2,500 times America's total annual energy use.
The Total Generation Capacity statistics by state and nationally are from the U.S. Department of Energy Energy Information Administration's Electric Power Annual 2006 report, published in November, 2007 (download PDF). The figures represent Net Summer Capacity by state and nationally for all generation sources, excluding Alaska and Hawaii.
The 3-D view shows each state extrueded vertically, representing EGS potential as a volume, and resource density as the height. To see the 3-D view, select it in the Places Panel to the left of the map window.
Visualization
This Google Earth layer was produced by the Renewable Energy Cheaper Than Coal Initiative (RE&#60;C) at Google.org.
www.google.org/egs |

Resource by State

Flat

AL Geothermal Resource
Alabama
Geothermal Resource (3-10 km Depth)
Total Generation Capacity 2006
&nbsp;&nbsp;(All Sources: Coal, Gas, etc.):
30,700 &nbsp; MW &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Enhanced Geothermal Potential
&nbsp;&nbsp;(2% Recovery):
19,753 &nbsp; MW &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

AR Geothermal Resource
Arkansas
Geothermal Resource (3-10 km Depth)
Total Generation Capacity 2006
&nbsp;&nbsp;(All Sources: Coal, Gas, etc.):
Enhanced Geothermal Potential

AZ Geothermal Resource
Arizona
1,229,063 &nbsp; MW &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

CA Geothermal Resource
California

CO Geothermal Resource
Colorado

FL Geothermal Resource
Florida

GA Geothermal Resource
Georgia

IA Geothermal Resource
Iowa

ID Geothermal Resource
Idaho

IL Geothermal Resource
Illinois

IN Geothermal Resource
Indiana

KS Geothermal Resource
Kansas

KY Geothermal Resource
Kentucky

LA Geothermal Resource
Louisiana

ME Geothermal Resource
Maine

MI Geothermal Resource
Michigan

MN Geothermal Resource
Minnesota

MO Geothermal Resource
Missouri

MS Geothermal Resource
Mississippi

MT Geothermal Resource
Montana

NC Geothermal Resource
North Carolina

ND Geothermal Resource
North Dakota

NE Geothermal Resource
Nebraska

NH Geothermal Resource
New Hampshire

NM Geothermal Resource
New Mexico

NV Geothermal Resource
Nevada

NY Geothermal Resource
New York

OH Geothermal Resource
Ohio

OK Geothermal Resource
Oklahoma

OR Geothermal Resource
Oregon

PA Geothermal Resource
Pennsylvania

SC Geothermal Resource
South Carolina

SD Geothermal Resource
South Dakota

TN Geothermal Resource
Tennessee

TX Geothermal Resource
Texas

UT Geothermal Resource
Utah

VA Geothermal Resource
Virginia

WA Geothermal Resource
Washington

WI Geothermal Resource
Wisconsin

WV Geothermal Resource
West Virginia

WY Geothermal Resource
Wyoming

MA,CT,RI,VT Geothermal Resource
Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont

MD,NJ,DE,DC Geothermal Resource
Maryland, New Jersey, Deleware, District of Columbia

Outlines

AL

AR

AZ

CA

CO

FL

GA

IA

ID

IL

IN

KS

KY

LA

ME

MI

MN

MO

MS

MT

NC

ND

NE

NH

NM

NV

NY

OH

OK

OR

PA

SC

SD

TN

TX

UT

VA

WA

WI

WV

WY

MA,CT,RI,VT

MD,NJ,DE,DC

Temp. at Depth Maps

3.5 km Temp Map

3.5 km Legend

4.5 km Temp Map

4.5 km Legend

5.5 km Temp Map

5.5 km Legend

10 km

10 km Temp Map

10 km Legend

Animation
play with time slider