Policy Overview and Options for Maximizing the Role of Policy in Geothermal Electricity Development
Geothermal electricity production capacity has grown over time because of multiple factors, including its renewable, baseload, and domestic attributes; volatile and high prices for competing technologies; and policy intervention. Overarching federal policies, namely the Public Utilities Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA), provided certainty to project investors in the 1980s, leading to a boom in geothermal development. In addition to market expansion through PURPA, research and development policies provided an investment of public dollars toward developing technologies and reducing costs over time to increase the market competitiveness of geothermal electricity. Together, these efforts are cited as the primary policy drivers for the currently installed capacity. Informing policy decisions depends on the combined impacts of policies at the federal and state level on geothermal development. Identifying high-impact suites of policies for different contexts, and the government levels best equipped to implement them, would provide a wealth of information to both policy makers and project developers.
- Research Organization:
- National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC36-99-GO10337
- OSTI ID:
- 965979
- Report Number(s):
- NREL/TP-6A2-46653; TRN: US200922%%535
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
CAPACITY
DOLLARS
ELECTRICITY
MARKET
PRICES
PUBLIC UTILITIES
US PUBLIC UTILITY REGULATORY POLICIES ACT
GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
STATE POLICY
FEDERAL POLICY
GEOTHERMAL ELECTRICITY DEVELOPMENT
ENHANCED GEOTHERMAL SYSTEMS
INVESTMENT TAX CREDITS
FINANCIAL INCENTIVES
FEED-IN TARIFFS
FEDERAL FUNDING
STATE FUNDING
Energy Analysis