Out of Limbo

摘要

The future of geothermal electricity in the United States is reasonably bright. If the geothermal industry looks back on where it was just five years ago, it must admit that it is in better shape today. Five years ago, the U.S. electric industry was in limbo, because of pending restructuring. Utilities weren't making any investments, and the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act didn't offer you much support because the price of power was so low in the wholesale power market. But now the geothermal and other renewable industries can start to see what some of the rules are for the new, competitive utility industry. Renewable energy industries in California can calculate and Count on transitional support mandated by the state's electric restructuring law, AB 1890. And in some areas of the country, we've seen the initial development of "green" power markets that may benefit the geothermal industry.