Description
Geothermal In Colorado: Resources, Use Strategies, and Impact Considerations
In this study, the Energy and Carbon Management Commission (ECMC), Colorado Geological Survey (CGS), and Teverra collaboratively completed a comprehensive review of Colorado’s geologic and geothermal history, a data review and resource assessment, a utilization and market analysis, and a corresponding environmental and regulatory evaluation of the geothermal opportunities in Colorado.
Colorado already utilizes geothermal resources for direct use applications near thermal springs, but there are opportunities to expand these applications. Binary power plants offer a feasible option for electricity generation, with exploration underway for enhanced/advanced geothermal systems and thermal energy storage. Direct use of geothermal heat can be expanded for heating buildings, agriculture, aquaculture, light industrial, and recreational applications. Heat pumps present a promising avenue for heating and cooling statewide, across residential and commercial buildings and some industrial applications.
The geothermal resource potential for Colorado was evaluated using oil and gas well temperatures (for geothermal gradients), thermal springs, and heat flow data provided by CGS. The purpose of this evaluation was to assess regional geothermal resources in the state with a more complete data set than has been previously available, and thereby provide additional geothermal heat evaluations to aid geothermal exploration and development.
Financial modeling and analysis are done for three geothermal development scenarios relevant to Colorado: 1) establishing a new well field for geothermal electricity production, 2) converting existing wells into electricity producers, and 3) repurposing wells to generate hot water for industrial, commercial, or residential use. The analysis includes determination of net present value (NPV), internal rate of return (IRR), levelized cost of electricity or heat (LCOE or LCOH), and breakeven period.
Finally, the report examines environmental risks and concerns associated with geothermal development and an outline of the regulatory environment in Colorado, highlighting both strengths and areas for greater consideration.
The FULL REPORT can be DOWLOADED HERE.
Geothermal Data for the Geothermal in Colorado (2024) Report
Two foundational datasets from the Colorado Geological Survey were used in the report titled “Geothermal In Colorado: Resources, Use Strategies, and Impact Considerations” published by the Colorado Energy and Carbon Management Commission for the Colorado Governor’s Office and Legislature. These datasets are published here to make them widely available to researchers, students, and the public:
- Data Table of Known Geothermal Springs and Wells (Appendix B)
- There are 400 individual geothermal springs, seeps, and wells in Colorado (315 thermal springs, 44 artesian wells, and 41 wells). However, grouping these together into named hot spring systems by location brings the count of Colorado thermal springs and wells to 93. This spreadsheet data file contains a list of the known geothermal springs and wells in Colorado. This list includes names of the features, type, location, temperature, flow (if known), whether the source is perennial, available chemistry data, and well depth (wells only). Also included are the literature source reference, location reliability, and the known use of the geothermal feature.
- Data Table of Colorado Thermal Springs Geochemistry (Appendix C)
- This spreadsheet data file contains 400 geochemistry data entries for 182 distinct and differentiated seeps, springs, and wells. It contains the spring or well name, county, location (in various formats), temperature at the surface when the sample was collected, date of collection, results of all chemical analyses performed on the sample, results of radioactive tests on a few samples, and estimates of reservoir temperatures for the samples using chemical geothermometry.
