Despite having a large geothermal power potential in the United States, only a small fraction has been developed for power generation. Various barriers, including technical, financial, and regulatory permit delays, are attributed to lower contribution of geothermal energy in the national grid. Unpredictable environmental reviews and permitting timelines are some of the non-technical barriers that can cause delays in geothermal exploration and utilization plans. This study shows that the geothermal permitting timelines can vary from six months to several years, depending on the presence or absence of biological resources, cultural resources, and sensitive environmental issues at the project site. The potential impacts of these permit barriers can range from investors abandoning geothermal development to making the product (i.e., electricity) more expensive and uncompetitive.

Non-technical barriers to deploying geothermal electricity projects in the United States can create significant delays and other challenges, leading to higher project risk and costs, lost opportunities to access policy incentives, and ultimately decreased competitiveness against other electricity generation technologies. These non-technical barriers cover multiple aspects of geothermal project development, including land access and permitting as well as other environmental regulations. Interviews were held with relevant stakeholders in California and Nevada to discuss their experiences with land access and permitting approvals for geothermal projects from the perspectives of both regulators and developers.