Geothermal Timeline

	1900s	Conversion of high-grade hydrothermal resources to electricity began in Italy.

	1960	The first commercial-scale development tools were placed in California at The Geysers, a 10-megawatt unit owned by Pacific Gas & Electric.

	1970	Injection of spent(used) geothermal fluids back into the production zone began as a means to dispose of waste water and maintain reservoir life.

	1972	Deep well drilling technology improvements led to deeper reservoir drilling and access to more resources.

	1977	Scientists developed the first hot dry rock reservoir at Fenton Hill, New Mexico.

	1978	U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) funding for geothermal research and development was $106.2 million (1995 dollars) in fiscal year 1978, marking the first time the funding level surpassed $100 million. It remained above $100 million until fiscal year 1982, when it was reduced to $56.4million (1995 dollars). Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA)mandated the purchase of electricity from qualifying facilities (QFs) meeting certain technical standards regarding energy source and efficiency. PURPA also exempted QFs from both State and Federal regulation under the Federal Power Act and the Public Utility Holding Company Act.

	1980	The first commercial-scale binary plant in the United States, installed in Southern California’s Imperial Valley, began operation in 1980.

	1980s	California’s Standard Offer Contract system for PURPA QFs provided renewable electric energy systems a relatively firm and stable market for output, allowing the financing of such capital-intensive technologies as geothermal energy facilities.

	1982	Geothermal (hydrothermal) electric generating capacity, primarily utility-owned,reached a new high level of 1,000 megawatts.

	1989	DOE and the Electric Power Research Institute operated a 1-megawatt geopressured power demonstration plant in Texas, extracting methane and heat from brine liquids.

	1990	DOE funding for geothermal energy research and development declined throughout the 1980s, reaching its low point ($15million).

	1991	The world’s first magma exploratory well was drilled in the Sierra Nevada Mountains to a depth of 7,588 feet. It did not encounter magma at that depth inside the caldera.

	1992	The Puna Field in Hawaii began electrical generation at their 25-MW geothermal plant.

	1994	California Energy became the world’s largest geothermal company through its acquisition of Magma Power. Near-term international markets gained the interest of U.S. geothermal developers.

	1995	During the period 1985-1995, U.S. geothermal developers added nearly 1,000 megawatts of geothermal electric generating capacity outside The Geysers. Worldwide geothermal capacity reached 6,000 megawatts. In a low-temperature resource assessment of 10 western states, the U.S. Department of Energy identified nearly 9000 thermal wells and springs and 271 communities with a geothermal resource greater than 50ºC. A food-dehydration facility at Empire, Nevada processed 15 million pounds of dried onions and garlic per year using geothermal resources.