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Although the use of geothermal steam for electricity production began in the early 20th century, geothermal still only represents 0.3 percent of the world’s total power generation. As of 2011, about 11 GW of geothermal power capacity has been built around the world, most of it in the last three decades.
Currently, electricity from geothermal energy is produced in 24 countries. The United States and the Philippines have the largest installed capacity, about 3,000 MW and 1,900 MW, respectively. Iceland and El Salvador generate as much as 25 percent of their electric power from geothermal resources.
While geothermal energy potentially has a number of uses, including direct heating, this book focuses specifically on developing geothermal sources to generate electricity.
