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The World Bank estimates energy demand in the next decade to be 400,000 megawatts at a cost of $400 billion dollars.

The price of electricity on average is 8 cents per kwh in the US, about 18 cents per kwh in emerging countries, up to 50 cents per kwh in some parts of Mexico, and 22 cents per kwh in Japan.

The cost of power generation is the most important aspect to wide scale use. World power generation is currently dominated by coal, nuclear, natural gas, and oil. According to the Energy Information Administration, the projected cost of generating electricity in 2005, provided in 2001 constant dollars, in cents per kWh is:

• Coal = 5
• Gas/Oil = 4.7
• Nuclear = 6.5
• Fuel Cell = 9.3
• Solar Thermal = 13.2
• Wind = 5.3
• Geothermal = 5
• Biomass = 5

Estimated U.S. total average price per kilowatthour for all sectors at electric utilities by state, 2000

Projected electricity cost in 2005
(Projected levelized production cost in 2001 cents per kWh)

Source: Energy Information Administration

Preliminary bottom hole temperature (BHT) data

A preliminary investigation of over 3500 bottom hole temperatures in four counties of the Delaware Basin demonstrate temperatures within the medium geothermal temperature range. These temperatures, as well as the ever present brines, are sufficient to operate a traditional binary power plant.

It is noteworthy that the BHT data demonstrate an increase in the temperature gradient between depths of 2000 and 4000 m, depending upon which county the data is from. This change has not been predicted from surface heat flow measurements alone followed by downward calculations of temperature gradient. The subsurface stratigraphy, composed of varying amounts of anhydrite, shales, limestones, and dolostones has significant influence on the subsurface temperatures encountered. In fact the temperatures shown here are probably lower than the natural equilibrium temperatures as BHT readings were taken immediately upon completion of drilling.

Source: Dr. Richard Erdlac, University of Texas Permian Basin

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