A cooperative program of the U.S. Navy China Lake Naval Weapons Station and private industry has developed geothermal power at the Coso volcanic field. The first well was drilled in 1981 and production now exceeds 250 megawatts, greatly reducing energy costs to the Navy and providing additional electricity to the southern California power grid. This view from the NW shows turbine plants and production well ponds at Coso. Devils Kitchen, a fumarolic area with extensively hydrothermally altered ground, appears at the upper right.

Photo by Paul Kimberly, 1997 (Smithsonian Institution).

This image is made available under the Public Domain Dedication CC0 license, but proper attribution is appreciated.

Coso Volcanic Field