Geothermal Regions
From Open Energy Information
Geothermal regions were outlined for the western United States (including Alaska and Hawaii) to identify geothermal areas, projects, and exploration trends for each region. These regions were developed based on the USGS physiographic regions (U.S. Geological Survey), and then adjusted to fit geothermal exploration parameters such as differences in geologic regime, structure, heat source, surface effects (weather, vegetation patterns, groundwater flow), and other relevant factors. The 21 regions can be seen outlined in red and overlain on the 2008 USGS Geothermal Favorability Map in Figure 1.[1]
Add a new Geothermal Region
List of Regions
Area | Mean MW | Undiscovered Mean(MW) | Installed Capacity (MW) | Plants Included in Installed Estimate | Planned Capacity (MW) | Plants Included in Planned Estimate | Plants With Unknown Planned Capacity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aegean-West Anatolian Extensional Region | ||||||||
| Alaska Geothermal Region | 1,717,854 km² 1,717,854,000,000 m² 663,091.644 mi² 18,490,808,670,600 ft² 2,054,553,384,000 yd² 424,490,312.67 acres | 677 MW 677,000 kW 677,000,000 W 677,000,000,000 mW 0.677 GW 6.77e-4 TW | 1,788 MW 1,788,000 kW 1,788,000,000 W 1,788,000,000,000 mW 1.788 GW 0.00179 TW | 25 MW 25,000 kW 25,000,000 W 25,000,000,000 mW 0.025 GW 2.5e-5 TW | 3 | 1 | ||
| Australia Geothermal Region | ||||||||
| Austria Geothermal Region | ||||||||
| Cascades Geothermal Region | 124,543 km² 124,543,000,000 m² 48,073.598 mi² 1,340,568,397,700 ft² 148,953,428,000 yd² 30,775,198.015 acres | 608 MW 608,000 kW 608,000,000 W 608,000,000,000 mW 0.608 GW 6.08e-4 TW | 1,057 MW 1,057,000 kW 1,057,000,000 W 1,057,000,000,000 mW 1.057 GW 0.00106 TW | 30 MW 30,000 kW 30,000,000 W 30,000,000,000 mW 0.03 GW 3.0e-5 TW | 1 | 2 | ||
| Central Nevada Seismic Zone Geothermal Region | 28,863 km² 28,863,000,000 m² 11,141.118 mi² 310,678,445,700 ft² 34,520,148,000 yd² 7,132,191.615 acres | 378.3 MW 378,300 kW 378,300,000 W 378,300,000,000 mW 0.378 GW 3.783e-4 TW | 745 MW 745,000 kW 745,000,000 W 745,000,000,000 mW 0.745 GW 7.45e-4 TW | 385 MW 385,000 kW 385,000,000 W 385,000,000,000 mW 0.385 GW 3.85e-4 TW | 4 | 9 | ||
| China Geothermal Region | ||||||||
| East African Rift Geothermal Region | ||||||||
| Germany Geothermal Region | ||||||||
| Gulf of California Rift Zone Geothermal Region | 24,178 km² 24,178,000,000 m² 9,332.708 mi² 260,249,574,200 ft² 28,916,888,000 yd² 5,974,504.69 acres | 3,147.2 MW 3,147,200 kW 3,147,200,000 W 3,147,200,000,000 mW 3.147 GW 0.00315 TW | 147.1 MW 147,100 kW 147,100,000 W 147,100,000,000 mW 0.147 GW 1.471e-4 TW | 710 MW 710,000 kW 710,000,000 W 710,000,000,000 mW 0.71 GW 7.1e-4 TW | 7 | 4 | ||
| Hawaii Geothermal Region | 28,311 km² 28,311,000,000 m² 10,928.046 mi² 304,736,772,900 ft² 33,859,956,000 yd² 6,995,789.655 acres | 181 MW 181,000 kW 181,000,000 W 181,000,000,000 mW 0.181 GW 1.81e-4 TW | 2,435 MW 2,435,000 kW 2,435,000,000 W 2,435,000,000,000 mW 2.435 GW 0.00244 TW | 50 MW 50,000 kW 50,000,000 W 50,000,000,000 mW 0.05 GW 5.0e-5 TW | 1 | 0 | ||
| Holocene Magmatic Geothermal Region | 20,051 km² 20,051,000,000 m² 7,739.686 mi² 215,826,958,900 ft² 23,980,996,000 yd² 4,954,702.355 acres | 1,127.7 MW 1,127,700 kW 1,127,700,000 W 1,127,700,000,000 mW 1.128 GW 0.00113 TW | 294 MW 294,000 kW 294,000,000 W 294,000,000,000 mW 0.294 GW 2.94e-4 TW | 333 MW 333,000 kW 333,000,000 W 333,000,000,000 mW 0.333 GW 3.33e-4 TW | 4 | 0 | ||
| Iceland Geothermal Region | ||||||||
| Idaho Batholith Geothermal Region | 72,438 km² 72,438,000,000 m² 27,961.068 mi² 779,715,388,200 ft² 86,635,848,000 yd² 17,899,791.99 acres | 217.9 MW 217,900 kW 217,900,000 W 217,900,000,000 mW 0.218 GW 2.179e-4 TW | 498.4 MW 498,400 kW 498,400,000 W 498,400,000,000 mW 0.498 GW 4.984e-4 TW | 150 MW 150,000 kW 150,000,000 W 150,000,000,000 mW 0.15 GW 1.5e-4 TW | 1 | 1 | ||
| Indonesia Geothermal Region | ||||||||
| Italy Geothermal Region | ||||||||
| Mexico Geothermal Region | ||||||||
| New Zealand Geothermal Region | ||||||||
| Northeast Honshu Arc | ||||||||
| Northern Basin and Range Geothermal Region | 298,001 km² 298,001,000,000 m² 115,028.386 mi² 3,207,652,963,900 ft² 356,409,196,000 yd² 73,637,537.105 acres | 358.3 MW 358,300 kW 358,300,000 W 358,300,000,000 mW 0.358 GW 3.583e-4 TW | 3,626.5 MW 3,626,500 kW 3,626,500,000 W 3,626,500,000,000 mW 3.627 GW 0.00363 TW | 503 MW 503,000 kW 503,000,000 W 503,000,000,000 mW 0.503 GW 5.03e-4 TW | 9 | 11 | ||
| Northern Rockies Geothermal Region | 97,538 km² 97,538,000,000 m² 37,649.668 mi² 1,049,889,278,200 ft² 116,655,448,000 yd² 24,102,127.49 acres | 70.7 MW 70,700 kW 70,700,000 W 70,700,000,000 mW 0.0707 GW 7.07e-5 TW | 391.1 MW 391,100 kW 391,100,000 W 391,100,000,000 mW 0.391 GW 3.911e-4 TW | 0 MW 0 kW 0 W 0 mW 0 GW 0 TW | 0 | 0 | ||
| Northwest Basin and Range Geothermal Region | 137,091 km² 137,091,000,000 m² 52,917.126 mi² 1,475,633,814,900 ft² 163,960,836,000 yd² 33,875,871.555 acres | 1,044 MW 1,044,000 kW 1,044,000,000 W 1,044,000,000,000 mW 1.044 GW 0.00104 TW | 2,238 MW 2,238,000 kW 2,238,000,000 W 2,238,000,000,000 mW 2.238 GW 0.00224 TW | 161 MW 161,000 kW 161,000,000 W 161,000,000,000 mW 0.161 GW 1.61e-4 TW | 6 | 9 | ||
| Outside a Geothermal Region | ||||||||
| Papua New Guinea Geothermal Region | ||||||||
| Philippines Geothermal Region | ||||||||
| Rio Grande Rift Geothermal Region | 130,309 km² 130,309,000,000 m² 50,299.274 mi² 1,402,633,045,100 ft² 155,849,564,000 yd² 32,200,005.445 acres | 227 MW 227,000 kW 227,000,000 W 227,000,000,000 mW 0.227 GW 2.27e-4 TW | 1,137 MW 1,137,000 kW 1,137,000,000 W 1,137,000,000,000 mW 1.137 GW 0.00114 TW | 15 MW 15,000 kW 15,000,000 W 15,000,000,000 mW 0.015 GW 1.5e-5 TW | 1 | 1 | ||
| Russia Geothermal Region | ||||||||
| Ryuku Arc | ||||||||
| San Andreas Geothermal Region | 73,756 km² 73,756,000,000 m² 28,469.816 mi² 793,902,208,400 ft² 88,212,176,000 yd² 18,225,476.38 acres | 17.1 MW 17,100 kW 17,100,000 W 17,100,000,000 mW 0.0171 GW 1.71e-5 TW | 446.7 MW 446,700 kW 446,700,000 W 446,700,000,000 mW 0.447 GW 4.467e-4 TW | 0 MW 0 kW 0 W 0 mW 0 GW 0 TW | 0 | 0 | ||
| San Andreas Split Geothermal Region | 18,246 km² 18,246,000,000 m² 7,042.956 mi² 196,398,119,400 ft² 21,822,216,000 yd² 4,508,677.83 acres | 7 MW 7,000 kW 7,000,000 W 7,000,000,000 mW 0.007 GW 7.0e-6 TW | 101 MW 101,000 kW 101,000,000 W 101,000,000,000 mW 0.101 GW 1.01e-4 TW | 0 MW 0 kW 0 W 0 mW 0 GW 0 TW | 0 | 0 | ||
| Sierra Nevada Geothermal Region | 56,363 km² 56,363,000,000 m² 21,756.118 mi² 606,685,695,700 ft² 67,410,148,000 yd² 13,927,579.115 acres | 0 MW 0 kW 0 W 0 mW 0 GW 0 TW | 24.5 MW 24,500 kW 24,500,000 W 24,500,000,000 mW 0.0245 GW 2.45e-5 TW | 0 MW 0 kW 0 W 0 mW 0 GW 0 TW | 0 | 0 | ||
| Snake River Plain Geothermal Region | 57,161 km² 57,161,000,000 m² 22,064.146 mi² 615,275,287,900 ft² 68,364,556,000 yd² 14,124,768.905 acres | 130 MW 130,000 kW 130,000,000 W 130,000,000,000 mW 0.13 GW 1.3e-4 TW | 747.4 MW 747,400 kW 747,400,000 W 747,400,000,000 mW 0.747 GW 7.474e-4 TW | 114 MW 114,000 kW 114,000,000 W 114,000,000,000 mW 0.114 GW 1.14e-4 TW | 1 | 4 | ||
| Southern Basin and Range Geothermal Region | 223,189 km² 223,189,000,000 m² 86,150.954 mi² 2,402,384,077,100 ft² 266,934,044,000 yd² 55,151,117.845 acres | 9 MW 9,000 kW 9,000,000 W 9,000,000,000 mW 0.009 GW 9.0e-6 TW | 841.1 MW 841,100 kW 841,100,000 W 841,100,000,000 mW 0.841 GW 8.411e-4 TW | 0 MW 0 kW 0 W 0 mW 0 GW 0 TW | 0 | 0 | ||
| Southern Colorado Plateau Geothermal Region | 92,253 km² 92,253,000,000 m² 35,609.658 mi² 993,002,066,700 ft² 110,334,588,000 yd² 22,796,177.565 acres | 0 MW 0 kW 0 W 0 mW 0 GW 0 TW | 278.5 MW 278,500 kW 278,500,000 W 278,500,000,000 mW 0.279 GW 2.785e-4 TW | 0 MW 0 kW 0 W 0 mW 0 GW 0 TW | 0 | 0 | ||
| Southern Rockies Geothermal Region | 128,454 km² 128,454,000,000 m² 49,583.244 mi² 1,382,666,010,600 ft² 153,630,984,000 yd² 31,741,625.67 acres | 0 MW 0 kW 0 W 0 mW 0 GW 0 TW | 1,010 MW 1,010,000 kW 1,010,000,000 W 1,010,000,000,000 mW 1.01 GW 0.00101 TW | 0 MW 0 kW 0 W 0 mW 0 GW 0 TW | 0 | 0 | ||
| Thailand Geothermal Region | ||||||||
| Transition Zone Geothermal Region | 40,075 km² 40,075,000,000 m² 15,468.95 mi² 431,363,292,500 ft² 47,929,700,000 yd² 9,902,732.875 acres | 52.7 MW 52,700 kW 52,700,000 W 52,700,000,000 mW 0.0527 GW 5.27e-5 TW | 691.2 MW 691,200 kW 691,200,000 W 691,200,000,000 mW 0.691 GW 6.912e-4 TW | 5 MW 5,000 kW 5,000,000 W 5,000,000,000 mW 0.005 GW 5.0e-6 TW | 1 | 1 | ||
| Turkey Geothermal Region | ||||||||
| Walker-Lane Transition Zone Geothermal Region | 81,283 km² 81,283,000,000 m² 31,375.238 mi² 874,922,083,700 ft² 97,214,468,000 yd² 20,085,435.715 acres | 762.7 MW 762,700 kW 762,700,000 W 762,700,000,000 mW 0.763 GW 7.627e-4 TW | 1,133.6 MW 1,133,600 kW 1,133,600,000 W 1,133,600,000,000 mW 1.134 GW 0.00113 TW | 630 MW 630,000 kW 630,000,000 W 630,000,000,000 mW 0.63 GW 6.3e-4 TW | 10 | 0 | ||
| Yellowstone Caldera Geothermal Region | 11,841 km² 11,841,000,000 m² 4,570.626 mi² 127,455,339,900 ft² 14,161,836,000 yd² 2,925,970.305 acres | 44 MW 44,000 kW 44,000,000 W 44,000,000,000 mW 0.044 GW 4.4e-5 TW | 209.9 MW 209,900 kW 209,900,000 W 209,900,000,000 mW 0.21 GW 2.099e-4 TW | 0 MW 0 kW 0 W 0 mW 0 GW 0 TW | 0 | 0 |
References