Transmission barrier

Geothermal power plants must be located near specific areas near a reservoir because it is not practical to transport steam or hot water over distances greater than two miles. Since many of the best geothermal resources are located in rural areas, developers may be limited by their ability to supply electricity to the grid. New power lines are expensive to construct and difficult to site. Many existing transmission lines are operating near capacity and may not be able to transmit electricity without significant upgrades. Consequently, any significant increase in the number of geothermal power plants will be limited by the plants ability to connect, upgrade or build new lines to access the power grid and whether the grid is able to deliver additional power to the market.

Accessibility

Some areas may have sufficient hot rocks to supply hot water to a power station, but many of these areas are located in harsh areas or high up in mountains. This curbs the accessibility of geothermal resources adding on to the costs of development.

Execution challenges

Harmful radioactive gases can escape from deep within the earth through the holes drilled by the constructors. The plant must be able to contain any leaked gases and ensure safe disposal of the same.