Interior's energy push would open millions of Utah acres

Governor Huntsman says the plan is a 'positive move forward'

WASHINGTON - The Interior Department plans to open more than 190 million federal acres - including 18 areas in Utah - for geothermal production in an attempt to boost domestic energy output.
Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne said Wednesday the plans, in their final stage, could increase the nation's supply of geothermal energy to power more than 5.5 million homes within seven years.
"Geothermal energy will play a key role in powering America's energy future, which requires a wide variety of energy sources," Kempthorne said in a conference call with reporters. "Because geothermal energy is replenished by heat sources deep in the Earth, it is a renewable resource that generates electricity with minimal carbon emissions." read article

D.O.E. Features Raser's Geothermal Project in New Mexico

New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson and Raser Technologies, Inc. announced in late August that construction has begun on the first commercial geothermal power plant in New Mexico. Located near Animas in the southwest corner of the state, the 10-megawatt (MW) Lightning Dock geothermal power plant will produce power using modular "PureCycle" power units from UTC Power, a subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation. read article at DOE

U.S. Uses Less than 1% of Our Geothermal Resources

The Great Forgotten Energy Source: Geothermal
With climate concerns, oil prices, and energy security now on everyone’s mind, the tide seems to be turning again in favor of geothermal energy in this country. The 2007 Energy Act authorized the DOE to spend $95 million for geothermal research (although Congress has appropriated only a fraction of that so far). Unfortunately, the Energy Act failed to extend tax credits for renewable energy producers, which are crucial, MIT’s Tester says, given the initial costs of finding geothermal resources and setting up plants. read article

Michigan Joins 30 other States with Renewable Portfolio Standard

The comprehensive energy legislation, approved last month by Michigan House and Senate lawmakers, requires utilities and other electric suppliers to derive 10 percent of their electricity mix from renewable sources by 2015. The bills also gradually decrease electricity rates for business and industrial customers, offset by rate increases of up to 20 percent for residential customers. The legislation also includes tax credits to encourage energy efficiency measures that supporters say could help offset any rate hikes.

Granholm has long touted alternative energy as a promising growth field for Michigan, and she called on lawmakers to pass a renewable portfolio standard during her State of the State speech earlier this year. Recent trade missions to Sweden, Germany and Japan have focused in part on meeting with alternative energy companies to persuade them to open facilities in Michigan.

In her weekly radio address Friday, Granholm called the energy bills "perhaps the most important legislation to create jobs and diversify Michigan's economy that has crossed my desk." Granholm said the state was a natural fit for the renewable energy jobs of the future.

"Our manufacturing history, outstanding universities and bountiful natural resources give us an advantage over most of our competitors," she said. "This comprehensive energy plan will create all kinds of jobs for all kinds of people."

But the plan has drawn criticism from some quarters. Critics including the Customer Choice Coalition objected to the legislation, which would guarantee Consumers Energy and DTE Energy 90 percent of the state's electricity market, as being anti-competitive and discouraging entrepreneurship.

The Washington-based American Wind Energy Association also took the rare step of opposing the bills, saying they paint an overly broad definition of renewable energy and would do little to spur new renewable energy generation in the state.

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