Non-technical barriers to deploying geothermal electricity projects in the United States can create significant delays and other challenges, leading to higher project risk and costs, lost opportunities to access policy incentives, and ultimately decreased competitiveness against other electricity generation technologies. These non-technical barriers cover multiple aspects of geothermal project development, including land access and permitting as well as other environmental regulations. Interviews were held with relevant stakeholders in California and Nevada to discuss their experiences with land access and permitting approvals for geothermal projects from the perspectives of both regulators and developers.

Locations of WDI stakeholders.