[Michael.SF.]

you are way out there in your logic. Look at map. Imperial Valley is 250- 300 miles from LA. It is 100 miles to Phoenix.

Geysers is 150 miles from SF.

Steamboat is 30 miles from Reno, 175 from SF.

You are all wet on this one. Bye.

[Wonder Warthog]

"you are way out there in your logic. Look at map. Imperial Valley is 250- 300 miles from LA. It is 100 miles to Phoenix."

I've looked at the map. I think you need to spend a bit more time doing so. Geothermal is useful in a very SMALL portion of the area of the United States, and accessible to only a tiny fraction of the population. Thus it won't ever make up a significant fraction of the total energy usage of the country--and in fact is probably not even capable of supplying the total electric needs of the area you mention.

I note you never did answer the question of what is the likely total DEVELOPABLE geothermal potential even of California. I also noted in passing through various online geothermal energy references that they can't even run the full installed capacity of "The Geysers", I assume because they were depleting the available resource.