Oregon-Washington
Geothermal Working Group Kickoffs Activities
The
inaugural meeting of the Oregon-Washington Geothermal Working Group, supported
by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) GeoPowering
the West effort, was held in Portland on 20 June. The one-day
event featured a morning session of technical presentations followed by
a stakeholder working session in the afternoon.
Approximately 75 attendees representing private sector developers, system
owners, government officials, and the public gathered to discuss opportunities
and barriers to expanded geothermal development in Oregon and Washington.
The primary issues identified by the group included public awareness and
perception, education (of the public and state governments), production
tax credits, renewable portfolio standards, and long term contracts for
power generation projects.
Oregon and Washington have significant untapped geothermal potential.
Eastern Oregon has direct use and power generation potential; eastern
Washington has direct use potential. In addition, many of the volcanoes
in the Cascades Range, which runs from northern California through Oregon
into Washington, have power generation potential. The Idaho National Engineering
and Environmental Laboratory provided draft maps of geothermal resources
for both states.
Prior to the meeting, several participants made a "geothermal tour"
of Oregon which began with the the Geo-Heat
Center located at the Oregon Institute of Technology in Klamath
Falls, and ended in Portland. Stops in and around Klamath Falls included
the City District Heating System which provides geothermal heat to many
of the city's municipal buildings; IFA Nurseriesa new, state-of-the-art
50,000 square-foot greenhouse which utilizes geothermal heat to grow tree
seedlings; Liskey Greenhousesa geothermal greenhouse which grows
potted plants for the retail market; and a fish-farming operation which
uses geothermal water to breed several types of colorful tropical fish.

IFA Nurseries, Inc.
Geothermal Greenhouse, Klamath Falls,
OR
(Photo courtesy of Toni Boyd, Geo-Heat Center) |
A special stop was made at Newberry Volcano. Located 20 miles southeast
of Bend, Newberry has significant geothermal power generation potential.
Drilling in the area has encountered test well temperatures of 330-510°F.

Geothermal Tour Group at Newberry Volcano
(Photo courtesy of Roger Hill, Sandia
National Laboratories)
|
For more information on the OR-WA Working Group and geothermal activities
in the two states, email Gordon
Bloomquist in Washington, and Kevin
Rafferty in Oregon.
(Sources: Kevin Rafferty, Roger Hill)
State Roundup
A summary of what is going on in the region as a whole, and the 19 states
of GeoPowering the West
Current Solicitations
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Regional
- 5-7 August
Linking Utility Interests with Rural Resources
Gatlinburg, TN
Website
- 22-25 September
Geothermal Resources Council Annual Meeting
Reno, NV
Website
- 30 September-2 October
7th National Green Power Marketing Conference
Washington, D.C.
Website
- 2-3 October
West Coast Power
San Francisco, CA
Email: Greg
Lesniewicz, Tel: (713) 463-9595, ext. 303
- 9-11 October
2002 World Energy Engineering Congress
Featuring Renewable Energy Technology 2002
Atlanta, GA
Website
- 15-17 November
NW Energy Coalition Fall Board Meeting
Portland, OR
Website
- FY 2002 State Energy Program Special Projects Awards
Energy Secretary Abraham announced that DOE will provide $12,608,524
to 47 states and three territories for 138 energy efficiency and renewable
energy projects through State Energy Program Special Projects FY 2002
competitive grants. Four projects totaling $312,812 were awarded to
study the costs and benefits of geothermal power in the Western United
States, provide the public with information about geothermal energy,
and inform community leaders of the geothermal energy potential in their
area. Projects are located in Alaska, Idaho,
New Mexico, and Utah.
More details are available from the SEP
website.
- The new Farm Bill, which President Bush signed in May, presents new
opportunities for farmers, ranchers, and rural communities to develop,
produce, and benefit from a wide range of renewable energy sources.
The Rural Development Title has been amended to include startup funding
for renewable energy projects. Farm- and ranch-based renewable energy
projects are now considered "value added agricultural products"
and thus eligible to bid for competitive grants. Grants can be used
to develop feasibility studies and marketing and business plans, and
as capital to establish alliances or business ventures. The maximum
allowed for renewable energy projects is $500,000. Forty million dollars
per year for six years has been earmarked for all value-added agriculture
product development efforts. See the Environmental
Law and Policy Center's website for a summary of the clean energy
provisions of the Farm Bill. For
a summary of the Farm Bill (Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of
2002), click here.
- DOE will help people throughout the West buy green power by offering
a "green tags" program through its Western
Area Power Administration (WAPA). The program will allow WAPA's
customers to support renewable energy projects by buying their environmental
attributes. Actual power from the projects will be sold into the traditional
power market. In addition, DOE intends to draw on renewable energy sources
to provide at least 140 million kilowatt-hours of electricity for the
department by 2005accounting for nearly 5% of DOE's electricity
use. For more information, see Energy
Secretary Abraham's speech at the 13th Annual Energy Efficiency
Forum on 12 June.
- The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the Cooperative
Research Network, the National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corp.
and Energy Co-Opportunity have worked together to develop a number of
resources to help electric cooperatives address the legal, economic,
and technical issues raised by consumer-owned generation. Using the
"Distributed Generation Interconnection Tool Kit," cooperatives
should be able to draft the rules, policies, tariffs, and contract documents
required to respond positively to consumer requests for interconnection.
For more information, see the website.
Alaska
- Alaska State Geothermal Energy Support
Alaska received $75,000 under DOE's State Energy Program for FY 2002
to support three activities: (1) conduct a resource assessment to update
past work statewide with current opportunities, identifying communities
that are the most promising candidates for geothermal energy projects;
(2) conduct site specific feasibility investigations; and (3) provide
program support. For more information, email
Scott Waterman, SEP Manager for Alaska.
Arizona
- 21 August
Meeting for Geothermal in Arizona: Exploring the Opportunities!
Phoenix, AZ
Email: Roger
Hill
- 16-19 September
National Summit on Emerging Tribal Economies
Phoenix, AZ
Website
- The Arizona Coalition for New Energy Technologies (ACNET) has launched
a new website. The ACNET
website features news and information on member companies, legislative
and regulatory developments, events and other materials of interest
to the clean new energy technology business communities in Arizona.
ACNET promotes its members and their innovative technologies through
outreach programs and various other activities. One of its primary outreach
activities is working with state and federal policymakers and other
key opinion leaders.
California
- 2-3 October
West Coast Power
San Francisco, CA
Email: Greg
Lesniewicz, Tel: (713) 463-9595, ext. 303
- In May, the California Energy Commission presented $4.05 million to
Lake County as part of additional state contribution to Phase 2 of the
Southeast Geysers Effluent Injection System (SGEIS). Through the SGEIS,
Basin 2000, Lake County disposes of its effluent wastewater by treating
it and infusing the liquid through pipeline to the flagging Geysers
geothermal steam field. Phase 2 will increase treated effluent wastewater
injection to the Southeast Geysers to help extend the life of the steam
field and increase geothermal power plant production by 10-20 MW. For
further information, contact: Steve Brodnansky, Special District Administrator,
Lake County Sanitation District, Tel: (707) 263-0119.
- The University of Utah's Energy and Geoscience Institute (UU-EGI)
and New York, NY-based Caithness Energy, LLC will receive $4.5 million
in cooperative agreement funding from DOE over the next five years as
part of a $12-million initiative to boost production at the Coso, CA
geothermal field. The funding covers a cooperative agreement for an
Enhanced Geothermal System under a three-stage program. UU-EGI and Caithness
will use hydrofracing technology to create additional channels in the
subsurface rock to allow more hot water to have access to existing geothermal
wells. For more information, contact Tom Welch at DOE, Tel: (202) 586-5806.
- According to a report issued by the California Public Interest Research
Group (CALPIRG) Charitable Trust, developing the state's renewable energy
would create more jobs than continuing to emphasize fossil fuels. The
report found that an increased level of renewable energy development
would create 28,000 year-long construction jobs and 3,000 permanent
operating jobs, while the equivalent amount of new natural gas-fired
power would generate only 25% as much employment for California. The
report may be downloaded in PDF format from CALPIRG's website.
Colorado
- In a series of eleventh-hour legislative maneuvers in May, the Colorado
Legislature failed to pass a bill to create a state renewable energy
portfolio standard. Senate Bill 180 would have implemented a state renewable
portfolio standard (RPS) requiring that Xcel Energy provide or acquire
400 MW of generation from renewable energy sources, including presently
existing renewable energy capacity, by 2005. This amount would increase
to 800 MW in 2010 and 1,500 MW in 2020. The bill passed both the Colorado
Senate and House, but the Senate failed to act on concurrence (agreement
with the House amendments) before it adjourned. If this legislation
had passed, Colorado would have been the thirteenth state in the country
to adopt an RPS. The RPS is expected to be reconsidered in the 2003
General Assembly which convenes January 2003.
- The Colorado Coalition for New Energy Technologies has launched a
new website. The website
features news and information on member companies, legislative and regulatory
developments, events and other materials of interest to the clean new
energy technology business communities in Colorado. The Colorado Coalition
for New Energy Technologies promotes its members and their innovative
technologies through outreach programs and various other activities.
It works cooperatively with a broad range of industry organizations
and stakeholder communities to advance clean and efficient energy technologies
that enhance the states environment and economy, and the country's
national energy security.
- Colorado Governor
Bill Owens signed HB 1415 into law on 3 June. The new law enables
net meteringutility purchase of customer-generated electricity
from renewable energy sourcesfor customers of Colorados
rural and cooperative utilities. It also standardizes net metering for
the state and sets the utility purchase price for renewable-generated
electricity at avoided cost.
Hawai'i
- The Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO) and the University of Hawai'i's
Hawai'i Natural Energy Institute (HNEI) are teaming up with the Electric
Power Research Institute (EPRI) and its affiliate, the Electricity Innovation
Institute, to develop clean energy technologies. Announced in May, the
partnership will focus on emerging renewable, energy efficient, and
environmentally sensitive energy applications, including distributed
generation, on-site, central station, and transportation technologies.
For more information, see EPRI's
press release.
Idaho
For further
information on the Idaho Geothermal Working Group, contact:
Gerry Galinato
Energy Division,
Idaho Department of Water Resources
Tel: (208) 327-7963
Email: ggalinat@idwr.state.id.us |
-
Idaho Geothermal Energy Development
The Idaho Department of Water Resources received $100,000
from SEP for FY 2002 to develop trade missions into Idaho communities
that have greater geothermal water resources. Information will be
developed to explain to these communities the geothermal potential
and how to develop the resource. For more information, email
Joan Sipple, Energy Specialist.
Kansas
No news
Montana
- Montana state residents who install energy systems "using a recognized
non-fossil form of energy generation" (as defined in 15-32- 102),
in their principal dwelling after 31 December 2001 may claim a tax credit
equal to the cost of the system, including installation costs, less
grants received, up to $500. The Alternative Energy Income Tax Break
Credit is spelled out in Montana Codes Annotated 15-32-201. In addition,
the Geothermal Energy System Credit (MCA 15-32-115) is $1,000 or $250
a year for four years beginning with the year the initial costs of installation
begin. For more information, see the Montana
Department of Revenue website. The form for the Geothermal Energy
System Credit is Form
ENRG-B (PDF file).
- NorthWestern Energy has issued its net-metering policy, "Interconnection
Agreement for Customer-Owned, Grid-Connected Electric Generating Facilities
of 50 Kilowatts or Less Peak Generating Capacity." The document
outlines the utility's net metering requirements for grid connection
of renewable resources. The policy is available in PDF
format.
- The Montana Green Power website publishes a very useful and informative
Montana Green Power E-newsletter. The newsletter provides monthly
updates on what's happening in renewable energy in Montana. To
subscribe click here.
Nebraska
No news
Nevada
For further
information on the Nevada Geothermal Working Group, contact:
John Snow
Program Manager - Oil, Gas, and Geothermal
Nevada Division
of Minerals
Tel: (775)
684-7045
Email: jsnow@govmail.state.nv.us
|
- 22-25 September
Geothermal Resources Council Annual Meeting
Reno, NV
Website
- Advanced Thermal Systems, Inc. and the University and Community College
System of Nevada will announce their plans for a geothermal central
utility plant for the new Redfield Campus south of Reno. The geothermal
utility facility will supply electricity, heating, cooling and hot water
to the campus at rates competitive with traditional utility services.
Additionally, the facility will be utilized for a variety of research
activities. For more information, contact Rebecca Wagner at Advanced
Thermal Systems, Inc., Tel: (775) 321-4444 ext. 3011 or email.
New Mexico
For further
information on the New Mexico Geothermal Working Group, contact:
Christopher Wentz
Director, Energy Conservation and Management Division
New Mexico Energy, Minerals & Natural Resources
Tel: (505) 476-3312
Email: cwentz@state.nm.us
|
- 24 July
New Mexico Public Regulatory Commission Workshop
Marian Hall, 224 East Palace Avenue
Santa Fe, NM
The New Mexico Public Regulatory Commission is likely to rule in favor
of a new 10 % Renewable Portfolio Standard soon for New Mexico.
- New Mexico Geothermal Clearinghouse
New Mexico received $50,000 from SEP for FY 2002 to establish, manage,
and publicize a Geothermal Information Clearinghouse for the state.
The clearinghouse will provide a readily accessible source for a broad
range of practical geothermal information that can be used by future
developers, as well as current geothermal businesses. It will include
concise and specific information on New Mexico's geothermal resource
base, low-temperature reservoir management for the direct-use operator,
and the steps required to lease and permit various aspects of geothermal
development. For more information, email
Harold Trujillo, New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources
Department.
- Former Department of Energy secretary Bill Richardson recently outlined
his position on renewable energy as part of his New Mexico gubernatorial
campaign. Richardson presented a five-point plan, titled "Renew
New Mexico," that focuses extensively on renewable energy and alternative
fuels. The platform includes Richardson's goal for New Mexico to source
at least 10% of its electricity from renewable energy generation by
2010. Richardson also called for businesses in the state to be allowed
to sell power back to utility companies through a net metering mechanism.
New Mexico currently leads the country in the number of geothermal greenhouses.
For more information, see the "Bill
Richardson for Governor" website.
North Dakota
No news
Oklahoma
No news
Oregon
For further
information on geothermal activities in Oregon, contact:
Kevin Rafferty
Associate Director, Geo-Heat Center
Oregon Institute of Technology
Tel: (541) 885-1750
Email: raffertk@oit.edu
|
- 15-17 November
NW Energy Coalition Fall Board Meeting
Portland, OR
Website
- The inaugural meeting of the Oregon-Washington Geothermal Working
Group, supported by DOE's GeoPowering the West effort, was held in Portland
on 20 June. For more information, see the lead
story.
- The Energy Trust of Oregon is a new nonprofit organization which promotes
clean energy. Under Oregon's electric energy restructuring law, the
state's two largest utilities will collect a 3% public purpose charge
from their customers. The Energy Trust will receive most of the 3% public
purpose funds to invest in efficient technologies and renewable resources
that save dollars, create jobs, and protect the environment. Renewable
energy projects will receive 17.1% of the total funds received. Above-market
costs of renewable energy projects will be eligible for Energy Trust
support. The Energy Trust will consider unsolicited proposals. For more
information, see the Energy
Trust of Oregon's website.
- Portland General Electric (PGE) has seen the number of customers choosing
green power more than double, and 1.8% of all residential customers
are now signed up to receive the pollution-free energy. At the end of
2001, PGE had 5,674 total customers choosing green power in anticipation
of the Oregon restructuring law taking effect in March 2002, said a
PGE spokesman. At the end of the first quarter of 2002, with very little
marketing, enrollment rose to 12,000; most are residential customers.
Fifty-six percent of PGE's new green power customers chose 100% green
power from Green Mountain Energy, which is a mix of 85% geothermal and
15% wind power.
South Dakota
No news
Texas
- Established in 1999 and effective January 2002, the Texas Renewable
Portfolio Standard (RPS) requires the installation of 2,000 MW of new
renewable capacity by the year 2009, in addition to preserving the 880
MW of renewable energy already on line. This translates to about 3%
of present electricity consumption. Intermediate new renewable capacity
goals in Texas are 400 MW by 2003, 850 MW by 2005, 1,400 MW by 2007,
and 2,000 MW by 2009. For more information, see "The Renewables
Portfolio Standard in Texas: An Early Assessment" by Ryan
Wisera of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and Ole
Langnissb of the German Aerospace Center.)
- The Clean Energy Incubator has chosen Houston-based Power Tube, Inc.
as one of its first two companies. Headed by Doyle Brewington, Power
Tube is a self-contained, nonpolluting structure that uses heat from
the Earth to power generators. Brewington designed it for use in developing
countries, but is looking into placing the tubes in capped, unused oil
wells throughout the Permian Basin. The tube uses underground heat to
send vapor through a turbine that powers generators near the surface.
Brewington estimates that a 185-foot tube 42 inches in diameter could
power 8,500 homes. Launched in August 2001, the Clean Energy Incubator
is the first of its kind in the United States. It operates within the
Austin Technology Incubator (ATI), a division of the IC2 Institute,
and is supported by a grant from the Texas State Energy Conservation
Office. For more information, see the ATI
website.
Utah
- Promoting Direct Use Development of Utah's Geothermal Resources
SEP awarded Utah $87,812 to encourage further development of Utah's
geothermal resources by providing readily available information and
increasing the awareness of commercial opportunities. The three components
to this FY 2002 project are: (1) review and document the economics of
selected, successful direct-use geothermal operations in Utah by determining
critical project parameters and impediments to development; (2) improve
access to both geothermal resource information in Utah, and development
opportunities through an Internet site containing comprehensive information
about geothermal resources, technologies, and economics of selected
geothermal direct-use projects in Utah; and (3) improve knowledge and
awareness of geothermal development opportunities in Utah by hosting
a regional geothermal conference in Salt Lake City to highlight recent
developments throughout the Great Basin and Intermountain regions. For
more information, email
Denise Beaudoin, Utah Energy Office.
- Under H.B.
7, "Net Metering of Electricity," effective 6 May,
utilities must offer net metering to their customers. Net metering allows
customers to install their own power generation systems and feed excess
power back into the grid. Customers are billed only for their net electricity
use over a month or a yearideally, their meter turns backwards
when they are feeding power into the grid. The Utah legislation applies
to renewable energy of less than 25 kilowatts. Renewable energy is defined
as "...energy derived from the sun, wind, or water to generate
electricity."
- The University of Utah's Energy and Geoscience Institute (UU-EGI)
and New York, NY-based Caithness Energy, LLC will receive $4.5 million
in cooperative agreement funding from DOE over the next five years as
part of a $12-million initiative to boost production at the Coso, CA
geothermal field. The funding covers a cooperative agreement for an
Enhanced Geothermal System under a three-stage program. UU-EGI and Caithness
will use hydrofracing technology to create additional channels in the
subsurface rock to allow more hot water to have access to existing geothermal
wells. For more information, contact Tom Welch at DOE, Tel: (202) 586-5806.
Washington
For further
information on geothermal activities in Washington, contact:
Gordon Bloomquist
Geothermal, Hydrothermal & Integrated Energy Systems
Washington State University
Tel: (360) 956-2016
Email: bloomquistr@energy.wsu..edu
|
- The inaugural meeting of the Oregon-Washington Geothermal Working
Group, supported by DOE's GeoPowering the West effort, was held in Portland
on 20 June. For more information, see the lead
story.
Wyoming
No news
Select another state

Current Solicitations
The following solicitations
and requests for proposals may be of interest to geothermal developers
and entrepreneurs.
California Energy Commission International Energy Fund.
Through the unique Energy Technology Export Program, the California Energy
Commission (CEC) introduces California-based companies to the international
market by providing pre-investment "seed" funding through the
International Energy Fund (IEF).
The IEF helps Californian firms conduct pre-construction activities that
lead to energy projects in foreign nations. IEF awards fund pre-feasibility
and feasibility stages of international energy projects. Pre-construction
activities include but are not limited to: market studies and analyses,
feasibility studies, resource assessments, site analyses, bid and/or proposal
development, and technology transfer agreements.
The CEC anticipates making awards of up to $25,000 per pre-construction
activity. Applicants are required to provide at least 50% of the total
cost of the reconstruction activity to be eligible for this fund. It is
expected that awards will be made in September 2002. Total funding for
the 2002-2003 solicitation is $250,000.
For more information on the program and to obtain the solicitation, see
the CEC's
Energy Technology Export Program website.
Funding to Develop Essential Community Facilities in Rural Communities
with Severe Economic Depression. The US Department of Agriculture
(USDA) Rural Housing Service requests proposals for projects that develop
essential community facilities in rural communities for eligible public
entities, nonprofit corporations, and tribal governments with extreme
high unemployment and severe economic depression.
Projects must serve the community as a whole and be needed for the orderly
development of the community such as providing an essential service to
the residents. There is no set maximum loan limits with the Community
Facilities direct and guaranteed loan programs. Projects cannot
be private, commercial or business undertakings.
Pre-applications are due 16 August 2002. All pre-applications selected
for funding consideration will be notified by the State or field office.
Applications are accepted on a continual basis until the $19 million in
funding is exhausted.
For more information, see the USDA
Rural Housing Service website, or contact Joseph Ben-Israel at
(202) 720-1490.

Distributed Power Program - Distribution and Interconnection Research
and Development Solicitation for Letters of Interest (LOI)
No. RAT-2-32616. Distributed Energy Resources (DER) will
play a key role in maintaining and enhancing the reliability, power quality,
security, and environmental friendliness of the U.S. electric power system.
The Distributed Power Program at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory
(NREL) is soliciting an LOI from individual U.S. companies and/or U.S.
teams to address a range of activities related to interconnecting and
integrating distributed energy resources. These activities are organized
into four categories as follows:
- Advanced Universal Interconnection Technology;
- Field Testing of Distributed Energy Technology for Interconnection
Standards and Electrical Power Systems Configurations;
- Standards for Distributed Energy Resources System Integration, Interconnection,
and Operation with Electric Power Systems; and
- Analysis and Research on Alternative Rates and Tariffs for Distributed
Energy.
NREL intends to make up to 15 subcontract awards under this solicitation.
This number of awards may vary due to the responses received and the availability
of DOE funds.
LOIs are due 27 August, 4:00 P.M. Mountain Time. The solicitation is
available on the NREL
website.

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