Glitnir U.S. Geothermal Energy Market Report
It is our pleasure to present our second annual U.S. Geothermal Energy Market Report. The overall development of geothermal energy is very positive in the US. The installed geothermal power generation capacity has increased by 4% to 2,958 MW. The overall number of projects has increased and projects currently underway would expand installed capacity in the U.S. by a 100-130% in the years to come.
Compared to last year the industry is better positioned and availability of drilling rigs has improved. The joint efforts of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Forestry Service to speed up the process for leasing geothermal resources on lands they manage will also have a significant impact on the industry.
Recent lease auctions by the BLM have shown the increasing interest in geothermal development and in developers’ confidence in the sector. On August 5, 2008 the BLM auctioned 35 parcels over leases on 105,312 acres for a total sales price of USD 28 million which is up from last year’s record of USD 12 million for 122,850 acres. This should increase the geothermal project pipeline in the U.S. even further.
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