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| Gene Suemnicht - CEO, Chief Geologist EGS |
Kenya has pushed hard to harness its geothermal capabilities. It generated 45 megawatts of power with geothermal energy in 1985 and now generates about 630 megawatts; nearly 400 megawatts of that production has come online since 2014.
“No matter how you cut it, that is a significant amount of generation in the geothermal world,” said Gene Suemnicht, chief executive of EGS (also a GRC Board member), a California-based geothermal consultancy that has worked in Kenya.
From a geological perspective, Kenya’s geothermal conditions are ideal.
“The amount of volcanism is amazing,” Mr. Suemnicht said. “It’s in the center of the action. Rift settings have very high potential for geothermal. Most geothermal development occurs in tectonically active areas on Earth.”