GeoVision Study

Geothermal energy could provide the United States with an inexhaustible supply of energy for billions of years to come.

Our ability to utilize this resource lies in our ability to tap this expansive resource with greater certainty. The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) GeoVision study—led by NREL—will help us do this.

The GeoVision study explores potential geothermal growth scenarios across multiple market sectors for 2020, 2030, and 2050. NREL's research focuses on potential to penetration and institutional barriers including:

  • Geothermal resource potential – hydrothermal, coproduction, and near-field and greenfield enhanced geothermal systems
  • Techno-economic characteristics – the costs and technical issues of advanced technologies and potential future impacts and calculating geothermal capacity
  • Market penetration – modeling of dozens of scenarios, including multiple reference scenarios
  • Non-technical barriers – factors that create delays, increase risk, or increase the cost of project development.

For the study, NREL is also coordinating activities spearheaded by other DOE labs in areas such as:

  • Exploration
  • Reservoir development and management
  • Social and environmental impacts
  • Hybrid systems
  • Thermal applications.

To learn more about GeoVision, see DOE's Geothermal Technologies Office website.

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