Everything about The Geysers totally explained
The Geysers, a
geothermal power field located 72 miles (116 km) north of
San Francisco,
California, is the largest geothermal development in the world. It is currently outputting over 750
MW. The Geysers consists of 21 separate
power plants that utilize steam from more than 350 producing wells. The
Calpine Corporation operates and owns 19 of the 21 facilities. The other two facilities are operated by the
Northern California Power Agency.
Description
The Geysers geothermal development spans an area of around 30 square miles (78 km²) in
Sonoma and
Lake counties in California, located in the
Mayacamas Mountains. Power from The Geysers provides electricity to Sonoma, Lake, Mendocino, Marin, and Napa counties. It is estimated that the development meets 60 percent of the power demand for the coastal region between the
Golden Gate Bridge and the
Oregon state line. Gravity and seismic studies suggest that the source of heat for the steam reservoir is a large
magma chamber over 4 miles (7 km) beneath the ground, and greater than 8 miles (14 km) in diameter.
Unlike most geothermal resources, the Geysers is a dry steam field, which means it mainly produces
superheated steam. Because the power plant turbines require a vapor phase input, dry steam resources are generally preferable. Otherwise, a two-phase separator is required between the turbine and the geothermal wells to remove condensation that's produced with the steam.
History
The Geysers was first "discovered" in 1847 during
John Fremont's survey of the
Sierra Mountains and the
Great Basin by William Bell Elliot. Elliot called the area "The Geysers," although the geothermal features he discovered were not technically
geysers, but
fumaroles. Soon after, in 1852, The Geysers was developed into a spa for The Geysers Resort Hotel, which attracted the likes of
Ulysses S. Grant,
Theodore Roosevelt, and
Mark Twain.
Further Information
Get more info on 'The Geysers'.
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