Geothermal Potential of Baltimore
The objective of this report is to provide a preliminary assessment of the geothermal energy resources in Baltimore and throughout Maryland that may be used for district heating and power generation. The overall goal is to provide an in-depth understanding regarding the availability and use of geothermal energy, which is an excellent source of baseload power, unlike other renewable sources.
The image above shows the geologic provinces of Maryland. The subsurface cross-section also shows the geologic layer beneath the surface. Baltimore is shown in both maps (MD Geologic Survey).
Rock Temperature at depth of 10 km (Blackwell et al. 2011). This image shows that geothermal heat is available everywhere if we drill deep enough.