By J. David Reynolds
We at Atlantic Geothermal think it is now possible to build the next generation of large-scale geothermal power plants suitable to meet the ever-increasing demand of clean electricity at affordable rates.
The Hoover Dam built after World War II was a project comparable to this new type of truly massive geothermal power production. The project was well worth the initial cost ($165 million in 1935 or about $740 million in today's dollars).
It seems clear that the dam’s value has not gone down over time, if anything it has gone up with increased cost for electricity. The technology then made it possible to build something bigger than a small water wheel on a river. Many of today’s geothermal systems are akin to a small water wheel compared to what could be done using the latest innovations.
