Geothermal energy in the Great Basin of Nevada and adjoining states could produce electricity equal to one-tenth of the current U.S. power supply, according to assessments by the U.S. Geological Survey, as documented in a paper released May 22. The projected 10 percent would be a major increase, as geothermal energy currently generates less than 1 percent of the nation’s power supply. The new assessment, which updates a 2008 USGS assessment, depends on widespread commercial-scale development and continued successful application of evolving and emerging technologies, many of which have been developed over the past several decades in the geothermal and oil and gas industries. Sarah Ryker, acting director of the USGS, remarked: “USGS assessments of energy resources are about the future. We focus on undiscovered resources that have yet to be fully explored, let alone developed. We launched this work in the Great Basin because of the area’s history of geothermal activity—and we found even more potential for baseload power than had previously been known. Leveraging this work along with artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques will help us assess the entire nation’s potential for geothermal energy with greater speed and accuracy.”
