ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a description of the formation and discovery of geothermal energy, followed by strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats analysis of the industry. Conventional geothermal systems that rely on heat exchange with surface or close-to-surface heat sources have limited expansion capacity since all the good sites are already taken. Engineering is required to develop or enhance the permeability of the subsurface rock area necessary for the circulation of water and the recovery of heat in the form of steam or superheated water for the electrical power generation. Although conventional hydrothermal resources are used effectively for both electric and nonelectric applications in the United States, they are limited in their location and ultimate potential for supplying electricity. The Bureau of Land Management has the responsibility for issuing geothermal leases on federal lands and reviews permit applications for geothermal development. The largest current problem facing the geothermal industry is the lack of a federal policy of promoting and supporting geothermal development.
