Geothermal Supply Curves
NREL has developed an interactive map and geospatial data showing geothermal supply curves, which characterize the quantity, quality, and cost of both hydrothermal and enhanced geothermal systems under specific scenarios.
Hydrothermal was run at a depth of 3.5 km, while enhanced geothermal systems was run at a depth of 4.5 km. The resources used are from the Southern Methodist University (SMU).
The data contained within the map are the levelized cost of energy and the levelized cost of transmission for the various scenarios. Data can be downloaded from the table below.
Geospatial Data
Geothermal supply curve data are provided in .csv format and include latitude, longitude, available area, capacity potential, generation potential, generator capacity factor, and distance/cost to interconnection.
| Scenario | Hydrothermal Binary SMU Exponential ATB+Depth Cost | Enhanced Geothermal Systems ATB |
|---|---|---|
| Resource Data | SMU Temp at Depth (3.5 km) | SMU Temp at Depth (4.5 km) |
| Geothermal Technology | Hydrothermal (Binary/3.5 km) | EGS (4.5 km) |
| Well Costs | GETEM Depth Cost Curve | GETEM Depth Cost Curve |
| Total Number of Generation Points Across CONUS | 319,907 | 520,216 |
| Developable Area Within Great Basin (Sq Km) | 396,490 | 417,715 |
| Total Capacity Within Great Basin (GW) | 1,127.64 | 2,005.03 |
| Median Levalized Cost of Energy Within Great Basin ($/MW)* | 76.04 (nconf= 0) 73.92 (nconf = 2) | 86.14 (nconf = 0) 85.70 (nconf = 2) |
| Link to Data | Hydrothermal Binary | Enhanced Geothermal System |
| Data Source | Spatial Extent | Count/Aerial Resolution | Depth Resolution | Units | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SMU Temperatures | Conterminous U.S. | 2.5 km x 2.5 km = 6.25 km2 | 3.5 km – 10 km depth increments of 1 km | Degree C | (Blackwell et al., 2011) |
| Layer | Square Kilometers | Type | Source | Percentage of CONUS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federal Lands | 1,106,975 | Land Ownership | ESRI | 13.70 |
| Military Lands | 83,101 | Land Ownership | ESRI | 1.02 |
| Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Lands | 614,117 | Land Ownership | ESRI | 7.60 |
| Sage Grouse | 239,645 | Ecological | BLM | 3.14 |
| Dixie Valley Toad | 2.3 | Ecological | U.S. Geological Survey | – |
| Teihm Buckwheat | 0.052 | Ecological | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Survey | – |
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