GEOTHERMAL KEEPS GROWING

Geothermal Energy Association Yearly Update: Industry Poised for Ascendant Growth, Continuing Regional Expansion
March 30, 2011 (Geothermal Energy Association)

"With new developments and pioneering technology, geothermal energy is spreading throughout the United States, as described in the yearly update on the geothermal industry from the Geothermal Energy Association (GEA)…

"…The Annual GEA U.S. Geothermal Power Production and Development Report shows that in 2011, the geothermal industry is producing clean power in nine states and developing 146 projects across 15 states, with the total number of geothermal projects and prospects under development increasing 12 percent."

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"The United States ranks No. 1 in geothermal energy production and continues to be one of the leading countries in geothermal growth. The total installed capacity of the U.S. is approximately 3,102 MW, enough to power over 2 million homes -- or the residential populations of San Francisco, Portland and Seattle combined. Currently, geothermal electric power generation is occurring in nine U.S. states, including: Alaska, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming. Bringing the geothermal resource capacity GEA identifies on-line would triple U.S. geothermal power production…

"As the majority of the industry remains concentrated in the western U.S., pilot projects are beginning to show development potential further east. New projects are focusing on generating geothermal electricity from low temperature fluids left over as a byproduct from oil and gas production and harnessing electricity from geothermal fluids under high geological pressure along the Gulf of Mexico…"

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"…Many projects currently undergoing advanced stages of production are located in Nevada and California, with additional projects nearing construction in Oregon, New Mexico, Idaho, and Hawaii, Alaska, Louisiana and Mississippi…While the number of states with geothermal installed capacity and projects in development is significant, the reach of the geothermal industry is even more extensive. A total of 43 states have companies involved in geothermal development operations…

"For the first time, the Annual GEA U.S. Geothermal Power Production and Development
Report was produced under a reporting system known as the Geothermal Reporting
Terms and Definitions in order to increase the accuracy and value of the information
presented…[The Terms and Definitions act as a guideline to project developers in reporting geothermal project development information to the GEA…"