Megan Geuss reports that 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 12 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.
The Steamboat Complex is within the Reno city limits, and it is 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 the Ormat system 78 megawatts are not a lot by comparison. But when compared to other renewables, geothermal has some advantages.
Geothermal is a base load source of electricity, and as such it is not subject to spikes in prices. Geothermal energy advocates point out that when the Sun is not shining and the wind is not blowing, geothermal facilities can be brought online in under an hour as one worker explained to me. Coal-fired plants, on the other hand, have long and costly ramp-up times. Dixie Valley in central Nevada also produces geothermal power.
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