Geothermal energy combines electricity generation, direct heat and ground-source heat pumps. In 2023, it supplied just below 100 TWh of global electricity and 0.3% of total global electricity generation, while heat made up most geothermal final-energy consumption.
Key Geothermal Energy Statistics
The following figures summarize the scale, use and outlook of geothermal energy:
- Nearly 15 GW of geothermal power capacity operated worldwide in 2023.
- Global geothermal electricity generation was just below 100 TWh in 2023.
- Geothermal supplied 0.3% of global electricity generation in 2023.
- Geothermal supplied just above 1% of global renewable electricity in 2023.
- More than 40 countries used geothermal energy for heating, cooling and electricity in 2023.
- The 10 largest geothermal final-energy consumers accounted for almost 90% of the global total in 2023.
- Kenya generated about 5 billion kWh of geothermal electricity in 2022, equal to about 43% of its national generation.
- Indonesia generated about 17 billion kWh of geothermal electricity in 2022, about 5% of its national generation.
- Heat represented 79% of global final geothermal energy consumption in 2023.
- More than 60% of geothermal heat, about 1.1 EJ, was consumed in residential and commercial buildings in 2023.
- The global geothermal fleet had a utilization rate above 75% in 2023.
- U.S. geothermal plants produced about 16 billion kWh in preliminary 2025 data.
- California accounted for 68.6% of U.S. geothermal generation in 2025.
- U.S. geothermal nameplate capacity reached 3,969 MWe in 2024.
- Fifty-four U.S. geothermal power projects were under development in the 2025 DOE market-report snapshot.
- IEA projects up to 800 GW of cost-effective geothermal power capacity worldwide by 2050 under continued technology improvements.
- That 800 GW scenario could produce almost 6,000 TWh per year by 2050.
Contents
- Global geothermal capacity and electricity generation
- Geothermal electricity trends by country
- U.S. geothermal energy data and market activity
- Geothermal heat consumption and buildings
- Geothermal power performance
- Geothermal potential, investment and forecasts
Global Geothermal Capacity and Electricity Generation Statistics
The IEA’s 2023 energy assessment puts global geothermal power capacity at nearly 15 GW and global geothermal electricity generation just below 100 TWh. These are different measures: capacity describes installed power capability, while generation records electricity produced during the year.
According to The Future of Geothermal Energy, geothermal supplied 0.3% of total global electricity generation and just above 1% of global renewable electricity in 2023. Global geothermal power capacity increased almost 40% over approximately 2013–2023.
The distribution of growth and output was concentrated geographically:
- Türkiye, Indonesia and Kenya accounted for more than three-quarters of geothermal capacity additions over 2013–2023; this is a share of additions, not total installed capacity.
- The United States, Indonesia, Türkiye, the Philippines and New Zealand produced two-thirds of global geothermal electricity in 2023.
- Iceland, Italy, Kenya, Mexico and Japan supplied another 25% of global geothermal electricity in 2023.
- More than 40 countries used geothermal energy for heating or cooling and electricity in 2023.
- The 10 largest geothermal final-energy consumers accounted for almost 90% of global geothermal final-energy consumption in 2023.
The IEA figures are rounded, and final energy includes both electricity and heat. Those categories should not be added together as if they were interchangeable capacity measures.
Geothermal Electricity Trends by Country and National Power Share
Country-level statistics show why geothermal’s global share can be small while its national role is substantial. EIA’s international comparison reported 25 countries generating geothermal electricity in 2022.
| Country | Geothermal generation, 2022 | Share of national generation, 2022 |
|---|---|---|
| Indonesia | About 17 billion kWh | About 5% |
| Kenya | About 5 billion kWh | About 43% |
Source: EIA, Use of geothermal energy. Values are rounded international-comparison figures.
The IEA also identified six countries where geothermal supplied more than 10% of national electricity supply in 2023:
- Kenya: more than 10% of electricity supply.
- Iceland: more than 10% of electricity supply.
- El Salvador: more than 10% of electricity supply.
- New Zealand: more than 10% of electricity supply.
- Nicaragua: more than 10% of electricity supply.
- Costa Rica: more than 10% of electricity supply.
The “more than 10%” threshold is not an exact country share. It identifies countries above the IEA’s stated cutoff, so it should not be read as a ranking or as a replacement for the rounded EIA values.
U.S. Geothermal Energy Statistics, States and Market Activity
Preliminary EIA data show that U.S. geothermal plants produced about 16 billion kWh in 2025, equal to about 0.4% of U.S. utility-scale electricity generation. Utility-scale geothermal plants operated in seven states.
California and Nevada dominated the 2025 state distribution:
| State | Share of U.S. geothermal generation, 2025 |
|---|---|
| California | 68.6% |
| Nevada | 24.7% |
| Utah | 3.0% |
| Hawaii | 1.6% |
| Oregon | 1.2% |
| Idaho | 0.5% |
| New Mexico | 0.4% |
Source: EIA, Use of geothermal energy. These are preliminary 2025 estimates of utility-scale generation.
The U.S. Geothermal Market Report reported 3,969 MWe of U.S. geothermal installed nameplate capacity in 2024. That was 8% higher than 3,673 MWe in 2020, while capacity increased approximately 1% from 2015 to 2019.
Market activity included projects and contracts beyond operating plants:
- Fifty-four geothermal power projects were under development on a net basis in the DOE 2025 market-report snapshot, unchanged from 2020.
- Twenty-six geothermal PPAs had been signed since the 2021 U.S. market report, representing more than 1,000 MWe of capacity commitments under development.
- Nine geothermal PPAs were signed from 2015 to 2019.
- Next-generation geothermal attracted more than $1.5 billion in private capital since 2021; this estimate covers next-generation projects, not the entire geothermal sector.
Operating capacity, projects under development and PPA commitments describe different stages of deployment and should not be combined.
Geothermal Heat Consumption and Building Applications
Electricity is only one part of geothermal use. The IEA estimates that total global final geothermal energy consumption was about 1.4 EJ in 2023, with heat representing 79% and electricity 21%.
More than 60% of geothermal heat—about 1.1 EJ—was consumed in residential and commercial buildings in 2023. This estimate includes ground-source heat pumps and direct medium-depth heat.
The building share provides a measure of current use, not total building-sector potential. The IEA assessment estimates that geothermal met around 1% of global building heat demand, describing the industry’s role as very limited.
The accounting has important boundaries: the IEA’s heat estimate includes estimated ground-source heat-pump consumption, while electricity, direct heat, final energy and installed capacity remain distinct measures. The 2023 values are rounded estimates from the IEA assessment, not a precise meter-by-meter global census.
Geothermal Power Performance and Utilization Statistics
Geothermal plants can produce power at a relatively high utilization rate because the resource is not dependent on sunshine or wind at the time of generation. The global geothermal fleet had a utilization rate above 75% in 2023, and its capacity factor averaged 75–80% over approximately 2013–2023.
The IEA comparison gives the following context for 2023 or its stated comparison period:
| Technology or fleet | Global utilization or capacity factor |
|---|---|
| Geothermal, 2023 | Above 75% |
| Geothermal, approximately 2013–2023 | 75–80% average capacity factor |
| Wind, 2023 | Below 30% |
| Solar PV, 2023 | Below 15% |
| Coal, IEA comparison | Around 60% |
| Combined-cycle natural gas, IEA comparison | Around 50% |
Sources: IEA, Executive summary – The Future of Geothermal Energy and The Future of Geothermal Energy. The comparison values are rounded and refer to different source-described periods.
Some national geothermal capacity-factor averages exceeded 90% in individual years within approximately 2013–2023, specifically in New Zealand, Iceland, Italy and Ethiopia. The IEA identifies the countries but does not provide an exact value for each country-year in the supplied assessment.
Geothermal Energy Potential, Investment and Deployment Forecasts
Forecasts for next-generation geothermal describe scenarios, not current operating assets. Under continued technology improvements, the IEA projects cost-effective deployment of up to 800 GW of geothermal power capacity worldwide by 2050, potentially producing almost 6,000 TWh per year.
The same scenario says next-generation geothermal could meet up to 15% of global electricity demand growth to 2050. This is a share of future demand growth, not a claim that geothermal would supply 15% of all electricity.
Technical-potential estimates are much larger than commercial forecasts:
- The IEA technical-potential analysis says next-generation geothermal potential could meet global electricity demand 140 times over; this is technical potential, not economically or commercially deployable capacity.
- Geothermal resources below 8 km depth could deliver almost 600 TW of capacity with a 25-year operating lifespan under the stated assumptions.
- Global geothermal heat potential from hot sedimentary aquifers up to 3 km deep and above 90°C is estimated at about 320 TW of heat-flow capacity, using assumptions of 25 years and a 0.9 capacity factor.
Investment projections are conditional on cost reductions. The IEA scenario places cumulative geothermal investment at USD 1 trillion by 2035 and USD 2.5 trillion by 2050, with peak investment reaching USD 140 billion per year.
Finally, up to 80% of investment required in a geothermal project involves capacity and skills common to the oil and gas industry. The estimate excludes non-transferable power-plant and transmission expertise, so it describes a potential skills and project overlap rather than a guaranteed cost reduction.