Most people think of Iceland when they think of geothermal power. On that island, approximately 90 percent of homes are heated by geothermal energy. But some 13 gigawatts of geothermal power are generated worldwide, and the US is one of the largest producers of it, generating nearly 3.4 gigawatts in 2013.
Ormat’s Steamboat Complex is within the Reno city limits, and it’s made up of seven smaller plants that collectively generate 78 megawatts of power. A typical coal-fired power plant can generate around 660 megawatts of power, so Ormat’s 78 megawatts are not a lot by comparison. But when compared to other renewables, geothermal has some advantages.
“The darling in California is solar, in Texas it’s wind, but both of those are intermittent power sources,” Bob Sullivan, an Ormat vice president, told the group. “Geothermal is a base load source, and as such it’s not subject to spikes in prices.”
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