The following summary points were given on March 1, 2007 as part of a slideshow presentation at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Advantages of enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) -- power plants in 'low grade' settings where the hot rock source is deeper in the earth -- are listed as follows:

1. Large, indigenous, accessible base load power resource -- 14,000,000 EJ of stored thermal energy accessible with today's technologies. Key point -- extractable amount of energy that could be recovered is not limited by resource size or availability
2. Fits portfolio of sustainable renewable energy options -- EGS complements the existing portfolio and does not hamper the growth of solar, biomass, and wind in their most appropriate domains.
3. Scalable and environmentally friendly -- EGS plants have small foot prints and low emissions -- carbon-free and their modularity makes them easily scalable from large size plants.
4. Technically feasible -- Major elements of the technology to capture and extract EGS are in place. Key remaining issue is to establish inter-well connectivity at commercial production rates -- only a factor of 2 to 3 greater than current levels.
5. Economically favorable -- projections favorable for high grade areas now with a credible learning path to provide competitive energy from mid- and low-grade resources
6. Deployment costs modest -- an investment of $200-400 million over 15 years would demonstrate EGS technology at a commercial scale at several US field sites to reduce risks for private investment and enable the development of 100,000 MWe.
7. Supporting research costs reasonable -- about $40 million/yr needed for 15 years -- low in comparison to what other large impact US alternative energy programs will need to have the same impact on supply.

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