Electric utilities: Why Geothermal?
Why should electric utilities buy geothermal power?
The most common factors affecting a utility's decision to purchase electricity from geothermal producers are:
- Regulatory requirements - renewable portfolio standards, PURPA;
- Economics - price when procuring energy;
- Dispatchability - how geothermal fits into the utility's energy profile;
- "Least-cost, best-fit" - economics and dispatchability;
- Non-price attributes - geothermal is considered a firm resource unliek wind; and
- Transmission - ability to provide energy to the utility.
Seven electric utilities in four states purchase or plan to purchase electricity from geothermal producers.
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Electric utilities which purchase geothermal energy |
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UTILITY |
STATE |
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
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| Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO) |
HI (RPS)
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Puna Geothermal Venture has a contract to deliver 30 MW to Hawai'i Electric Light Co. (HELCO), a HECO subsidiary. Renewable Hawai'i, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of HECO has issued three renewable energy project proposals 29-Nov-2005d Lanai, and the Big Island of Hawai'i. |
| Nevada Power Company |
NV (RPS)
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In November 2002 Nevada Power signed long-term contracts with:
Sierra Pacific and Nevada Power Company issued a Request for Proposals for Renewable Energy and Renewable Energy Credits in June 2003. |
| Northern California Power Agency (NCPA ) |
CA (RPS)
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NCPA owns and operates two 55-MWe geothermal power plants and the associated steam field in the Geysers Known Geothermal Resource Area (KGRA). |
| PacifiCorp |
UT
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PacifiCorp owns and operates the 26.1-MWe Blundell
geothermal plant.
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| Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) |
CA(PRS)
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PG&E geothermal operating capacity is 149.9 MWe from 8 operating contracts (January 2004). |
| Sierra Pacific Power |
NV (RPS)
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Sierra Pacific purchases power from 10 geothermal plants in Nevada. Sierra Pacific and Nevada Power Company issued a Request for Proposals for Renewable Energy and Renewable Energy Credits in June 2003. |
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CA (RPS)
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SCE geothermal operating capacity from 21 operating
contracts is 888.6 MWe (31 July 2003).
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