Techno-economics of geothermal power in the contiguous United States under baseload and flexible operations

Mohammad J. Aljubran and Roland N. Horne

Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2025, vol. 211, issue C

Abstract: As geothermal technology continues to gain momentum, it becomes increasingly important for stakeholders to assess the economic feasibility of geothermal power projects when integrated into electricity markets. This study evaluated the techno-economic viability of identified and undiscovered hydrothermal systems across the contiguous United States. Multiple data and methods were developed and integrated to model the lifecycle techno-economics of geothermal projects at hourly resolution. Additionally, flexible operations through wellhead throttling were evaluated to estimate the potential improvement compared to business-as-usual power plant operations. A total of 3,632 and 17,789 MWe of identified and undiscovered hydrothermal resources, respectively, were found to be economically competitive. Multiple sites were profitable under a typical 70 USD/MWh power purchase agreement, with return on investment up to 800%. Meanwhile, operating under the open power market yielded a mix of profitable and non-profitable projects across sites. Opting for flexible dispatch resulted in an improved economic performance. In particular, the most profitable site had nearly 10% relative improvement in return on investment upon switching from baseload to flexible dispatch.

Keywords: Geothermal; Techno-economic; Flexible; United States; Power markets (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2024.115322

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