Archaeological evidence suggests that Native Americans used geothermal energy for cooking and warmth as early as 10,000 years ago. Greeks and Romans are famous for their use of hot springs for bathing and medicinal purposes as early as the 3rd century BCE. The first modern, at scale geothermal power plant was the Wairakei facility located in the Taupō volcanic zone in New Zealand that began operation in 1958. The Geysers, located in the Mayacamas Mountains north of San Francisco, is the world’s largest geothermal energy project. The top 10 countries for geothermal power capacity at the end of 2021 were the United States, Indonesia, the Philippines, Turkey, New Zealand, Mexico, Kenya, Italy, Iceland, and Japan.1
1 REN21. 2022. Renewables 2022 Global Status Report (Paris: REN21 Secretariat)