Description:
Geothermal assessments and cost estimates were performed
as part of California’s Renewable Energy Transmission Initiative
(RETI) to help guide transmission planning. The RETI assessments
identified approximately 5,300 gross megawatts (MW) of
additional electrical-generation capacity that could be brought on
line from geothermal sites within 10 years, including 2,440 gross
MW within California. The RETI study area spanned 5 western
states and parts of Canada and Mexico. Geothermal assessments
were performed for 116 sites in California, Nevada, Oregon, and
southern British Columbia. MW capacity estimates were made
on a regional basis for Arizona, Washington, and the northern
portion of the Mexican state of Baja California Norte (“Baja”).
Capital costs and costs for Operations and Maintenance (O&M)
were estimated primarily as a function of MW capacity. For
most sites, estimated capital costs ranged from $3,000 to $5,500
per gross MW installed, and estimated O&M costs ranged from
$22 to $35 per gross MWh (2008 dollars). These costs were
converted to a net-MW basis in the RETI analysis for purposes of
comparison with other renewable energy sources. The Levelized
Cost of Energy (LCOE) for most geothermal sites ranged from
$65 to $130 per net MWh.