Annual U.S. & Global Geothermal Power Production Report

The 2016 Annual U.S. & Global Geothermal Power Production Report details a global operating capacity of 13.3 GW across 24 countries, with a forecast to reach 18.4 GW by 2021. While the U.S. maintains a significant presence with 3.7 GW of nameplate capacity, the report highlights vast untapped global potential (only 6-7% utilized) and growth in regions like East Africa and Central/South America. It emphasizes the role of geothermal energy in meeting COP21 climate commitments and outlines the GEA's project tracking methodology.

• As of January 2016, the global geothermal market had approximately 13.3 GW of operating capacity distributed across 24 countries. In 2015, 18 new plants were brought online, adding roughly 313 MW of new capacity to global grids.
• The global geothermal industry is projected to reach 18.4 GW by 2021. If nations achieve their development goals and targets, the market could potentially expand to 32 GW by the early 2030s.
• Flash technologies are the most prevalent globally, accounting for slightly less than two-thirds of installed capacity. Dry steam represents about one-quarter, and binary technology makes up the remaining sixth, with 1% consisting of back pressure and other experimental types.
• Current global geothermal power utilization is very low, with only 6% to 7% of the total global potential tapped based on existing technology and geologic knowledge. Total conventional hydrothermal potential is estimated at over 200 GWe.
• At the end of 2015, the United States had 3.7 GW of installed nameplate capacity and 2.71 GW of net capacity. The U.S. added 70 MW through two plant expansions in Nevada during that year.
• The U.S. geothermal market had approximately 1,250 MW under development, but about 0.5 GW of this is stalled in Phase 3 due to a lack of power purchase agreements (PPAs).
• The Global Geothermal Alliance, supported by the UN and IRENA, has pledged to increase global geothermal capacity five-fold to approximately 65 GW by 2030, with a two-fold increase for geothermal heating compared to 2014 levels.
• Several countries explicitly mentioned geothermal power in their COP21 INDC pledges to the United Nations. Examples include Costa Rica aiming for a 100% renewable energy matrix by 2030 and St. Vincent and the Grenadines planning a facility to provide over 50% of its electricity needs.
• Regional growth is noted in East Africa, where Kenya generates half of its electricity from geothermal and exports excess capacity to Uganda and Rwanda. In Central and South America, El Salvador aims for a 40% geothermal share in its energy mix by the end of 2019.
• The U.S. federal Production Tax Credit (PTC) was extended to December 31, 2016, for geothermal power projects commencing construction, with a rebate of $0.023/kWh.

APA

Environmental and Energy Study Institute (2016). Annual U.S. & Global Geothermal Power Production Report. https://www.eesi.org/files/2016_Annual_US_Global_Geothermal_Power_Production.pdf

Chicago

Environmental and Energy Study Institute. Annual U.S. & Global Geothermal Power Production Report. 2016. https://www.eesi.org/files/2016_Annual_US_Global_Geothermal_Power_Production.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |title=Annual U.S. & Global Geothermal Power Production Report |date=March 2016 |url=https://www.eesi.org/files/2016_Annual_US_Global_Geothermal_Power_Production.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{environmentalandenergystudyinstitute2016annual, author = {{Environmental and Energy Study Institute}}, title = {{Annual U.S. \& Global Geothermal Power Production Report}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2016}, month = mar, url = {https://www.eesi.org/files/2016_Annual_US_Global_Geothermal_Power_Production.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }