How Much Electricity Can Be Produced From Geothermal Wells?

The amount of electricity we can produce from geothermal wells depends primarily on the temperature of the rock the well penetrates. Even at a temperature of 150 degrees Celsius, well above the boiling point of water, the amount of energy that can be extracted just barely makes geothermal wells economic sources of electricity in volcano country. But what if we aim for even hotter rock formations? Let's say 250 degrees Celsius, much hotter than the boiling points of water. We can produce a whole lot more electricity with superheated 250 degrees steam coming out the exhaust well and driving a much bigger steam turbine. The engineering challenges can be overcome with technology we already have, but overcoming them doesn't come cheap.