Geothermal project characteristics and the conditions needed for success along with the various steps in developing a project are discussed. Geothermal policy in the United States started with the California Geothermal Resources Act of 1967 and the Federal Geothermal Steam Act of 1970. Various states followed defining a geothermal resource as either mineral, water, sui generis, heat or a combination of these. Federal incentives began with the Federal Energy Security Act of 1978 which included the Investment Tax Credits (ITC), followed by the Public Utility Regulatory Policy Act of 1979 (PURPA), and the Production Tax Credits (PTC). State incentives began with the Renewable Portfolio Standards in the 1990s, and various Renewable Energy Credits