Economic Impact of Permitting Timelines on Produced Geothermal Power
- Idaho National Laboratory
Despite having a large geothermal power potential in the United States, only a small fraction has been developed for power generation. Various barriers, including technical, financial, and regulatory permit delays, are attributed to lower contribution of geothermal energy in the national grid. Unpredictable environmental reviews and permitting timelines are some of the non-technical barriers that can cause delays in geothermal exploration and utilization plans. This study shows that the geothermal permitting timelines can vary from six months to several years, depending on the presence or absence of biological resources, cultural resources, and sensitive environmental issues at the project site. The potential impacts of these permit barriers can range from investors abandoning geothermal development to making the product (i.e., electricity) more expensive and uncompetitive.
- Research Organization:
- DOE Geothermal Data Repository; Idaho National Laboratory
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Geothermal Technologies Program (EE-4G)
- Contributing Organization:
- Idaho National Laboratory
- OSTI ID:
- 1845285
- Report Number(s):
- 1369
- Availability:
- GDRHelp@ee.doe.gov
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Economic Impact of Permitting Timelines on Geothermal Power in California, Nevada, and Utah
Geothermal Permitting and NEPA Timeline Analysis