The Geysers

The Geysers is a geothermal field in California’s Mayacamas Mountains that hosts the world’s largest complex of geothermal power plants.

Geothermal power: Electricity generated by extracting heat from Earth’s interior. The Geysers converts naturally occurring underground steam into electricity.
Mayacamas Mountains: A mountain range in California’s Coast Ranges, spanning parts of Sonoma, Lake, and Napa counties. The Geysers occupies part of this range, where its geothermal reservoirs lie beneath volcanic terrain.
Calpine: An American electricity generator that owns and operates power plants across North America. Calpine operates most of the generating capacity at The Geysers.
Geysers-Clear Lake geothermal wastewater pipeline: A pipeline system that transports treated wastewater from communities to The Geysers for underground injection. The project supplies recharge water while diverting wastewater from local waterways.
Vapor-dominated reservoir: A geothermal reservoir whose pores and fractures contain steam rather than liquid water as the dominant fluid. Steam-dominated conditions distinguish The Geysers from most other geothermal fields.
Franciscan Complex: A geologic assemblage of accreted oceanic rocks forming much of California’s Coast Ranges. Franciscan rocks provide much of the fractured reservoir framework beneath the field.
Renewable portfolio standard: A policy requiring electricity suppliers to obtain a specified share of power from renewable sources. The Geysers contributes renewable electricity toward California’s mandated clean-energy targets.
Geothermal energy and induced seismicity: The relationship between geothermal fluid injection or extraction and earthquake activity. Fluid management at The Geysers takes place in a region with frequent small earthquakes.
Geothermal reinjection: The practice of injecting water or wastewater into underground geothermal formations. Injected treated wastewater replenishes fluids and supports steam production at the field.
Clear Lake Volcanic Field: An active volcanic region in northern California associated with young intrusive rocks and geothermal heat. Its magmatic heat source helps explain the high temperatures beneath The Geysers.

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