Raser Geothermal Blog

Utah Governor meets with Raser Technologies

2009-02-12T18:12:00.000-08:00

Governor Huntsman discusses geothermal energy and the states renewable energy plan

Utah Governor Jon M. Huntsman, Jr. met with Raser Technologies at their headquarters in Provo, UT to discuss Utah’s new leadership energy role in geothermal development.

“First, just as Wall Street is known for finance and Silicone Valley for technology, by 2012, I believe Utah can become the premier destination in America for renewable energy!

And don't tell me it can't be done! In just this past year alone, we have witnessed in Utah the opening of a solar farm, a hydroelectric plant, a wind farm and a geothermal plant. To support this energy development, innovation at our higher education campuses is running at an all-time high, like technologies that will ensure the long-term viability of our abundant natural resources. The University of Utah is now second only to MIT in commercialization of cutting-edge research.”

-Utah Governor Jon M. Huntsman, Jr. at the State of the State Address

Senator Huntsman met with Raser’s CEO Brent Cook, Executive Vice President Dick Clayton, Senior Vice President David West and other Raser representatives. They discuss the recent discovery of one of the largest reservoir of geothermal energy in the nation and Raser’s development of this resource and its impact of this on the State of Utah’s energy plan.

Salt Lake mayor eyes geothermal power

2009-01-17T09:53:00.000-08:00

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Mayor Ralph Becker has enlisted a geothermal power company to rate Salt Lake City's potential for generating renewable energy from heat stored in the earth.

One possible site is the Wasatch Warm Springs fault zone on the city's north end. But Raser Technologies Inc. says there are other hidden geothermal sites around the city.

Becker is pitching a geothermal plant as part of his wish list of projects for possible funding under President-elect Barack Obama's proposed economic stimulus package.

The Wasatch Warm Springs fluctuate between 100 and 108 degrees at the surface. That's not hot enough for technology that can extract energy from water at coffee-brewing temperature, or 165 degrees, but Raser says the water could be hotter deeper underground.)

Full steam for local geothermal firm

2009-01-13T15:05:00.000-08:00

A Provo company is showing the rest of America how to develop new sources of energy: Unleash private companies and let them uncover the wealth lying beneath our feet.

After the discovery of a huge geothermal field 155 miles southwest of Provo, Raser Technologies Inc. has taken only about six months to construct a power plant and get it going. That's because it has figured out how to build plants in a modular fashion, making the process easier and faster. The company has said it will begin delivering electricity to Anaheim, Calif., within weeks.

The power source is hot water a few thousand feet below the surface, circulating inside a zone of porous limestone. The underground "lake" cycles hot water, using the Earth's internal heat to drive turbines. Raser plans to tap it and provide power eventually to as many 200,000 homes.

Raser started buying leases five years ago on hundreds of thousands of acres that had been passed over because of their lower heat potential. Raser, however, has developed a fluid that allows it to use low-temperature water. And, unlike most geothermal plants, in the Raser plant the water can be re-used.

The company holds rights to 78 square miles of land and believes there's potential for further development. Raser and its supplier, UTC Power, plan to build seven geothermal energy plants this year and 10 plants a year for the following decade.

It's a testimony to the power of private business, correctly managed. It's been a bad year for the reputation of many big firms. But that shouldn't obscure the power of free enterprise to get things done.

There's a clamor on the left for government to run more of the economy. But it's hard to imagine a government agency getting such a project done in six years, much less six months.

The company's find underscores the power of taking risks. In the current climate, businesses have (unsurprisingly) grown skittish of sticking their necks out. Raser's success in this venture reminds us that boldness can pay off.

The company has ramped up its planned development from 10 megawatts to 230 megawatts. And the future looks bright: It has applied to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange and expects to begin trading on the Big Board early this year.

The moral of the story? While politicians in Washington are talking about developing more energy resources, private companies are actually doing things. They're developing fresh ideas, working on new technologies, and taking risks as they work toward the future.

And this is just one example. Other companies are taking big strides in developing energy resources, from making solar power viable to developing nuclear power plants the size of a hot tub.

To do such things, however, they have to be free of burdensome taxation and cumbersome regulations. They take big risks, and people won't do that unless they also have a chance of a big payoff.

There's a lot of justified anger over the blunders business has made in recent years. But, as Raser has shown, free enterprise can provide tremendous benefits.

If we let it.

3 Companies Stay on Alternative-Energy Path

2009-01-08T10:22:00.000-08:00

By Paul Davidson, USA TODAY

President-elect Barack Obama has made renewable energy a centerpiece of his plan to resuscitate the U.S. economy and fight global warming.

Yet the credit crunch and nose-diving energy prices are prompting companies to scale back or cancel alternative-energy projects. In 2008, total spending on clean-energy projects is expected to fall 4% to $142 billion from 2007, research firm New Energy Finance says. But venture capital and private-equity firms are still investing in emerging technologies, it says. This year, such investments will increase to $14.2 billion from $9.8 billion in 2007.

Here are three companies that are forging ahead:

GEOTHERMAL POWER

Raser Technologies' hot idea

Geothermal power, which generates electricity by tapping a virtually limitless reserve of the Earth's natural heat, is perhaps the most promising renewable energy. But the richest and most accessible resources are dwindling, and it typically takes five to 10 years to build a plant.

Start-up Raser Technologies aims to solve both problems.

Its modular design makes building a geothermal plant as simple and quick as putting up a house. And it can use cooler, more widely available water, which increases the number of potential sites.

The company recently completed a 10-megawatt geothermal plant — enough to power about 9,000 homes — in six months. By year's end, it plans to start selling electricity from the Thermo, Utah, facility to the city of Anaheim, Calif.

Raser and its supplier, UTC Power, want to build another seven generators in the western United States by the end of 2009. It says they can churn out a jaw-dropping eight to 10 plants a year for at least the next decade.

"I call it Lego … building-block style," says Raser CEO Brent Cook.

Geothermal makes up 3% of the nation's renewable energy, according to the Geothermal Energy Association. Geothermal, unlike wind and solar, makes power around the clock.

Developers typically drill for water that's at least 350 degrees Fahrenheit; most is in the West. As it's pumped from the ground, the hot water turns to steam, which cranks a turbine.

A relatively new binary process uses cooler water — 250 to 300 degrees — to heat a refrigerant that vaporizes at lower temperatures. UTC Power says it can tap water as tepid as 165 degrees. "There are a lot more low- and moderate-temperature resources than higher-temperature resources," says Joseph Moore of the Energy & Geoscience Institute at the University of Utah.

Raser and UTC executives realized they could streamline the process by simply using air conditioners. For the Utah plant, UTC combined off-the-shelf air conditioners from its Carrier division, the nation's top air conditioning supplier, with generators and turbines to mass produce 50 units. In the meantime, Raser drilled wells, laid the foundation and installed wiring at the Utah site.

Then UTC delivered 50 systems in just 10 days.

"I've seen projects studied to death," Cook says. "This gave us the business courage to say, 'Let's go ahead and do this project.' "

SOLAR SYSTEMS

Making solar affordable

Here's a way to bring down the cost of that $35,000 solar system you're thinking of putting on the roof of your house: Turn the solar system into your roof.

Installation fees now make up about 30% of the price of solar panels. Panels, after all, must be individually mounted with racks and frames. Letting them double as roof tiles or building facades can eliminate those fees.

For 10 years, about a dozen companies have been laminating or gluing panels directly onto the roofs of homes or businesses as they're built. Sometimes solar cells are embedded within glass facades of office buildings.

Yet this segment of the solar business — known as building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) — makes up less than 5% of the industry, partly because systems are pricey, says consultant Paul Maycock of Photovoltaic Energy Systems.

A start-up called HelioVolt aims to jump-start the market with a less costly BIPV system for homes that it says is also more aesthetically appealing. It plans to start churning out panels for roofs and facades at its Austin factory by the end of 2009.

"My vision is to change solar from being a retrofit to being an electronic component embedded in the building construction material," Helio CEO B.J. Stanbery says.

BIPV providers that target the home market typically use wafers made of expensive silicon as a semiconductor. Individual solar cells must be electronically linked to form modules as large as 36 square feet. The links create grid-like lines on solar panels.

When a manufacturer builds a smaller module that doubles as a roof tile, it reduces efficiency and increases cost.

HelioVolt, by contrast, is a thin-film solar maker that uses a fraction of the semiconductor found in silicon wafers, slicing costs.

Also, Stanbery says the company creates electronic connections within each solar cell, eliminating the need to combine cells into large modules. As a result, he says, it can build smaller panels that naturally function as roof tiles and are 40% cheaper than current BIPV models.

And since the electronic links are deeply ingrained within the panels, the lines are virtually invisible, lending the panels a more natural solid gray look.

"You have no idea how many people I've talked to where the guy wants to put … panels on the roof, and the wife says, 'You've got to be kidding. You know how ugly those things are?' " Stanbery says.

WIND ENERGY

Design maximizes gusts

More wind, more electricity. Right?

Wrong.

A big drawback of wind energy is that generators operate at a steady speed regardless of how hard the wind blows. That means energy is wasted when gusts are too weak or too strong.

A Vancouver, British Columbia-based start-up called ExRo says it has a solution. It has invented a variable-speed generator that fluctuates with the wind. ExRo CEO John McDonald says the new generator can boost power output 20% to 50%, slashing electric rates.

"Alternative energy is still far too expensive," McDonald says. "What we're attempting to do is materially reduce the cost per kilowatt hour."

Wind makes up about 1% of U.S. power generation and has been growing about 45% a year.

Here's how a wind turbine works: Wind turns the blades, which spin a shaft. The shaft rotates copper coils that generate electric current when they pass by magnets. But the coils and magnets run at a set speed. So if wind speeds are too low, a gearbox must use power from the turbine to spin the shaft faster, wasting electricity. Similarly, the generator can't handle strong winds that would make the shaft spin too rapidly. So blades are positioned to let much of those gusts pass by.

ExRo Chief Technology Officer Jonathan Ritchey has devised a generator with 54 coils and magnets that work independently. If the wind is weak, only a couple of coils rotate. If it's strong, they all kick in.

The company has raised $1.5 million in seed money and is seeking $10 million next year for field trials. McDonald expects to team with manufacturers and start turning out generators in 2010. "No matter what the wind does, we have the right size generator at peak efficiency," he says.

KSL on Renewable Energy in Utah

2009-01-08T10:12:00.000-08:00

KSL Television, Salt Lake City, Utah, November 17th, 2008
The move toward renewable sources of energy is more than just talk in Utah . . . and that is encouraging, as the state, nation and world transition to power generation that is more environmentally friendly.

The latest example is the recent completion of an innovative geothermal power plant in Beaver County. Provo-based Raser Technologies, remarkably, built the facility in just over six-months using advanced modular technology they say "can make geothermal a major price-competitive resource for this country's energy supply."

A few months ago, another group of entrepreneurs flipped the switch to begin generating electricity at a wind farm in the mouth of Spanish Fork Canyon. The nine-turbine, 19-megawatt facility is the first utility-scale wind project in Utah history.

KSL applauds these innovative approaches to providing energy that is greener and cleaner. In our view, the initial success of these two projects reinforces the viability of Governor Huntsman's goal of having the state get 20 percent of its energy needs from renewable sources by 2025.

Utah is a state with vast natural resources, including four major geothermal zones, a number of potential wind-power sites and an abundance of sunshine in key areas for solar power generation. The move to development of these resources is both encouraging and exciting.

Utah Startup Strikes Geothermal Jackpot

2008-12-26T06:27:00.000-08:00

PROVO, Utah (AP) — Within six months of discovering a massive geothermal field, a small Utah company had erected and fired up a power plant — just one example of the speed with which companies are capitalizing on state mandates for alternative energy. (read article in LA Times)

Anticipation of new energy policies has sparked a rush on land leases as companies like Raser Technologies Inc., based in Provo, lock up property that hold geothermal fields and potentially huge profits.

Raser's find, about 155 miles southwest of Provo, could eventually power 200,000 homes.

The company said it will begin routing electricity to Anaheim, Calif. within weeks.

Earlier this month, California adopted the nation's most sweeping plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

"We made a pleasant discovery, let's put it that way," said Brent M. Cook, the company's chief executive.

The number of government land leases and drilling permits have risen quickly, said Kermit Witherbee, who heads up the leasing program for the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, with more than two dozen companies now trying to make a score like Raser.

Two years ago, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management approved 18 geothermal drilling permits. That number more than doubled in 2007 and has nearly quadrupled this year.

The government leased a staggering 244,000 acres for geothermal development in the past 18 months. Another 146,339 acres went up for bid Friday in Utah, Oregon and Idaho.

All of it was claimed.

Raser's find "has the potential to become one of the more important geothermal energy developments of the last quarter century," said Greg Nash, a professor of geothermal exploration at the University of Utah.

The company quickly redrew its business plan, bumping up its planned development of 10 megawatts of power to 230 megawatts. That is in line with the field's power potential according to calculations by GeothermEX Inc., a consulting firm.

By comparison, the largest group of geothermal plants in the world are The Geysers, about 60 miles northeast of San Francisco. The Geysers geothermal basin produces about 900 megawatts of energy, enough to power the city, said Ann Robertson-Tait, a senior geologist and vice president of business development for GeothermEX.

Geothermal technology creates energy using heat that is stored in the earth. But geothermal still generates less than 1 percent of the world's energy, according to the Paris-based International Energy Agency.

"The outlook for geothermal is great," said Brian Yerger, an energy analyst for New York-based Jesup & Lamont.

Geothermal companies are relatively small players in the energy market and have had to scramble to lock up financing, particularly during a recession.

Merrill Lynch & Co. has pledged to fund Raser's first 100 megawatts of projects and says it is staying in the game.

"We've done a lot with Raser," said Merrill Lynch spokeswoman Danielle Robinson. "We're very committed to the company."

Cook said his company can raise additional money from joint ventures and stock sales. "This is where the money flows, to alternative energy projects that pencil out," he said. The company made its first major stock sale Nov. 14 to Fletcher Asset Management of New York.

"We are enthusiastic about our investment," said Kell Benson, Fletcher's vice chairman. The firm bought $10 million in stock at $5 a share, with an option to double the stake.

Raser and its supplier, UTC Power, plan to build another seven geothermal energy plants across the western United States by the end of 2009 and 10 plants a year for the next decade.

The push for geothermal power has been accelerated by state mandates like those in California, which this month said utilities must obtain a third of their electricity from renewable sources by 2020.

Raser, which specializes in low-boil geothermal sites, started buying leases five years ago on hundreds of thousands of acres that had been passed over because of their lower heat potential.

New technology, however, has made low-boil water useable for geothermal power. Raser buys 250-kilowatt power units from UTC Power, a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp.

Geothermal is also being used on a smaller scale.

"These things are slot machines. They make money," said Bernie Karl, owner of Chena Hot Springs Resort, off the grid 60 miles northeast of Fairbanks, Alaska. On geothermal energy from early UTC prototypes, Karl powers light bulbs, heats lodges and rooms for 210 guests, warms a greenhouse that grows food and spices, keeps an ice house frozen and makes hydrogen for resort vehicles.

Raser hit hot water at a few thousand feet below the surface circulating inside a zone of porous limestone a mile deep. The underground "lake" cycles hot water endlessly under the power of the Earth's internal heat like a steam engine, throwing up loops of hot water intersected by wells that return it to the system.

The company holds rights to 78 square miles of land in the area and believes it has barely tapped the full potential.

Interior's energy push would open millions of Utah acres

2008-10-23T09:52:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-13T11:15:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-13T10:56:00.000-07:00

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 Ac t 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

2008-10-13T09:04:00.000-07:00

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.

read original article

Raser Chosen To Develop 110,000 MW Geothermal Plant in Indonesia

2008-09-22T09:25:00.001-07:00

Indonesia holds the world's 2nd largest reserves of geothermal power with the world's 4th largest population. Raser Technologies, Inc. was chosen to develop, in conjunction with Indonesia Power, over 100,000 acres of geothermal resources to build an estimated 110 MW of geothermal power in West Java, Indonesia's most populated island. read article

The 412 square kilometers (159 square miles) concession surrounds the Tangkuban Perahu volcano, approximately 15 miles (24 km) north of Bandung, the capitol of the West Java Province. Bandung has over 2 million people and is the largest city in the West Java Province, which has over 35 million residents.

Indonesia Power is a unit of PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN), Indonesia's state owned utility and has 127 power plants producing 8,888 MW of power. Indonesia Power will hold 51 percent ownership in the venture with Raser, while Raser will own 49 percent. It is expected that the capital to fund the development of the project in West Java will be independently financed.

PLN is expected to purchase the geothermal power in an effort to reduce its exposure to rising oil prices. Due to growth and rising fuel costs, Indonesia is experiencing an energy crisis and is actively pursuing a plan to grow geothermal power.

Indonesia has a stated goal to more than double its current 838 MW of geothermal power output by 2010 and to further grow its geothermal power generation to 9,500 MW by 2025. Outside of the United States, Indonesia has the world's largest geothermal power generation potential.

"We have studied this resource along with The Energy and Geoscience Institute and believe that it could potentially support 200 MW to 300 MW of clean renewable power," stated Michael Hayter, Raser's Director of Geothermal Development. "We anticipate that the initial phase of development will be a rapidly deployed binary plant with additional phases potentially including larger flash geothermal plants."

"We are excited about working with Indonesia Power to expand our geothermal development," stated Brent M. Cook, Raser's chief executive officer. "We recognize their expertise in geothermal power operations and applaud their commitment to further develop Indonesia's significant geothermal resources. We are honored to be their partner and look forward to working with them closely over the next several years."

Using New Geothermal Technology, Raser Could Tap 120,000 MW of Clean Power

2008-09-22T09:03:00.000-07:00

The project will be one of the first geothermal plants in the nation to incorporate the new breed of low-temperature technology featured in Raser’s proprietary modular power plants. Each individual generation unit is manufactured off-site, delivered to the location, and rapidly installed to create, in essence, a geothermal farm with multiple 450 kW units. read article

Raser Feaured on Front Page of Digg.com

2008-09-22T08:46:00.000-07:00

Raser Technologies made the front page of the popular new inernet news site Digg.Com featuring its new geothermal power plant and new technology at its first site in southern Utah.

Raser Discovers Nation's Largest Geothermal Resource in 25 Years

2008-09-22T07:54:00.000-07:00

Raser discovers nation's largest geothermal resource in past 25 years in southern Utah. Raser is nearing completion of their first power plant at the site to provide electricity for Mickey Mouse's home town. read more

"We call them 'heat farms' because we're just extracting heat out of the earth," says Michael Hayter of Raser Technologies.

The heat farm has sprouted quickly near Minersville. In the last several weeks, construction crews for Raser Technologies have installed 50 individual modules that produce electricity from steam.

According to Raser, the units can be installed and making power within three to five days of delivery. They make 10 Megawatts, enough for 8,000 homes already sold to the city of Anaheim, California.

"We knew we had enough for 10 megawatts when we started the development," says Hayter. "And as we went on we found a much larger resource."

They found it hundreds of feet below ground where water is heated by molten rock. They started drilling into it about a year ago.

Now, some experts believe the underground hot water reservoir could produce as much as 238 MegaWatts, enough for a metropolis of 200,000 homes.

Raser's project in Utah was stimulated partly by a California mandate to get more electricity without adding to global warming. Dave Tabet, with the Utah Geological Survey, says, "It was a known geothermal resource area. But its potential hadn't been proven until Raser went in and did some more exploration."

At least a half dozen other places in Utah look promising for geothermal development.

But Tabet says until there's more drilling they won't really know the true potential of all those areas.

Raser hopes to eventually develop the full potential in Beaver County with hundreds more modules. To do it they need to sell a lot more electricity. But they claim their price is now competitive with coal.

Among the advantages of geothermal; the resource doesn't get used up over time and there are no fuel costs. Raser hopes to eventually sell power to utilities in Utah as well as California.

Large-Scale Geothermal Energy Development Planned by BLM & USFS

2008-06-23T06:00:00.000-07:00

In the next step toward efficient development of geothermal energy resources on Federal lands, the US Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the US Forest Service (USFS) have issued a Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) for geothermal leasing in the western US, including Alaska.

"Federal lands in the West and Alaska contain the largest potential geothermal resources in this country. With the strong interest and support of state and local governments and clear direction from Congress, we are taking the next step in an aggressive program to make these resources available for responsible development to help meet the Nation’s energy needs."
—BLM Director Jim Caswell

The draft PEIS considers 117 million acres of public lands and 75 million acres of national forests to be available for leasing. The Draft PEIS also evaluates another alternative based on public input gained during scoping that would limit geothermal leasing for electrical generation to areas near transmission lines.

The BLM administers geothermal leasing on the public lands it manages and on lands in the National Forest System, where the Forest Service is the surface management agency.

The lands could potentially host 110 new geothermal plants generating 5,500 MW of power by 2015. An additional 132 geothermal plants could produce another 6,600 MW of power by 2025. In addition, 270 communities could potentially draw on geothermal resources as a heating source.

The draft PEIS was open for public comment on 13 June, and it will remain open for 90 days after the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) publishes its notice in the Federal Register on 20 June. The BLM will also hold public meetings in 13 cities throughout the region in July.

Approval of the PEIS will allow the BLM to modify its land use plans and to issue decisions on geothermal lease applications that are now pending. It will also help the Forest Service decide when to approve leases in national forests, although the Forest Service will require a separate environmental review process to amend its land use plans.

Geothermal energy production uses heat located naturally beneath the surface of the earth to generate electricity with little or no need to burn fuel. Geothermal energy currently accounts for 8.5% of renewable energy generation in the US.

Almost half of the nation’s geothermal energy production and about 90% of US geothermal resources occur on Federal lands. Currently, 29 geothermal power plants are operating under BLM authorization on Federal lands in California, Nevada and Utah. They have a total capacity of 1,250 MW and supply the needs of 1.2 million homes.

A comprehensive MIT-led study of the potential for geothermal energy within the United States published in 2007 concluded that Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS) technology could supply a substantial portion of US electricity well into the future, probably at competitive prices and with minimal environmental impact.

Overall, the DOE-funded panel concluded that EGS can likely deliver cumulative capacity of more than 100,000 MWe within 50 years with a modest, multi-year federal investment for RD&D. The panel estimated the total EGS resource base to be more than 13 million exajoules (EJ), with an estimated extractable portion to exceed 200,000 EJ—about 2,000 times the annual consumption of primary energy in the United States in 2005. (Earlier post.))

read article

Get ready for a geyser of geothermal power

2008-04-25T08:55:00.000-07:00

Sunday, April 20, 2008
MICHAEL MILSTEIN
The Oregonian Staff

Companies are suddenly moving to tap the same subterranean forces that built Oregon's volcanic peaks and use them to light homes, power computers and otherwise supply electricity without pollution or greenhouse gases.

Raser Technologies of Provo, Utah, plans construction of a 10-megawatt power plant in Klamath County, near the California border, in the next 18 months. The company also has leased 73,000 acres of land owned by International Paper in Oregon for potential geothermal development. Read Article

Type rest of post here (This Part Expands)

Raser Orders 110 UTC Geothermal Systems

2008-04-15T08:39:00.000-07:00

UTC Power and Raser Technologies have announced that UTC Power will provide 110 of its 225-kilowatt (kW) PureCycle geothermal systems to Raser. This order is in addition to 90 units that Raser ordered last year.

The agreement provides for downpayments by Raser or its associated project entities to UTC Power. Other financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Raser began taking delivery of the UTC Power systems ordered last year in the fourth quarter of 2007 and all 200 units will be delivered by the end of this year. UTC Power will also maintain the units.

"The existing federal Production Tax Credit for geothermal energy resources created a valuable incentive for the purchase and deployment of these units during this calendar year," said UTC Power President Jan van Dokkum.

Raser Receives Seven Geothermal Power Units from UTC Power

2008-03-05T15:47:00.000-08:00

In connection with its development of geothermal power plants, Raser also announced today the delivery of the first seven UTC Pure Cycle® units to Utah. Each 10 MW power plant will require 45 to 50 of these binary cycle units to generate green renewable electricity. Under its agreement with UTC, Raser has begun to take delivery of the first units.

“We are pleased with the progress that we are making on several fronts of our geothermal power program,” stated Brent M. Cook, Raser’s CEO. “Our rapid deployment strategy is gaining momentum as we progress with well field developments, receive power plant units from UTC and finalize PPA discussions with a number of utilities. The two additional projects we announced today embody the great work that our geothermal team is accomplishing behind the scenes.”

Raser Adds Two New Geothermal Projects in Oregon & Utah

2008-03-05T14:11:00.000-08:00

Raser Technologies has initiated the development of two additional geothermal projects. This brings Raser’s total projects under development to seven, representing 70 -75 megawatts (MW) of power projects initiated since April, 2007. Raser announced in April, 2007 that it would initiate the development of approximately 100 MW per year over the following three years and then ramp up to 150 MW per year for each year thereafter. The two additional projects announced today include a second 10 MW plant in Utah and the Company’s first 10 MW plant in Oregon. The Company’s projects under development now include three projects in Nevada, two in Utah, one in New Mexico and one in Oregon. read more

Utah Company Drilling for Geothermal Power Hits Boiling Water

2008-02-28T13:58:00.000-08:00

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- An underground reservoir in southwestern Utah could be the source of the first geothermal plant in the state in 23 years.

Provo-based Raser Technologies Inc. believes it hit enough hot water to keep a power plant cycling continuously but still is studying the site, an official said Wednesday.For competitive reasons, Raser won't say exactly where in the desert it hit hot water or how deep it had to drill.

"We anticipate this will be a site of a geothermal plant," said Richard Putnam, Raser's investor-relations director.

The 10-megawatt plant would generate enough power for 7,000 houses. read article

Raser Completes Drilling Phase of Geothermal Production Well

2008-02-28T13:55:00.000-08:00

Raser Technologies, Inc. announced today that the Company has completed drilling on a geothermal production well in southern Utah for use in a binary-cycle geothermal power plant for generating clean, renewable electric power. Preliminary readings of well 21-34 indicate the existence of geothermal resources with promising water temperatures well in excess of 260°F (127°C), subject to further testing and evaluation, which exceeds the minimum required temperature for use in our binary-cycle power plants produced by UTC.

Detailed testing for the reservoir’s properties has now commenced with final results pending.

“We are pleased with the preliminary results of this drilling program,” stated Brent M. Cook, Raser’s CEO, “and look forward to executing on our business plan. Our initial review of the information from this well is encouraging, however, precise data will not be available until further flow testing and verification can be conducted. Based upon preliminary results as well as data from other wells in the area, we expect the well to achieve temperatures around 300°F (150°C). We anticipate that the power this project generates will be sold to a southern California utility under a power purchase agreement that will be announced after final approval has been granted.”

Raser plans to retain the drilling rig that has been operating at this well and continue its well field development program at the southern Utah site.

The Company continues to evaluate the characteristics of its previously announced well drilled in Nevada and will make the results available when they are finalized.

Raser Technologies: Announces Selection Of 78,000 Acres Of Land For Geothermal

2007-12-21T07:29:00.000-08:00

Raser Technologies, Inc. (NYSE Arca: RZ) announced that it has completed an initial review of the previously announced 229,000 acres option on International Paper property for geothermal resources and has selected approximately 78,000 acres in Oregon and Washington for further study. Raser will have the exclusive right to these properties over the next 36 months to complete its analysis and enter into a long-term lease with the property owner.

“Over the past four months, we have completed a high-level geological analysis of the properties in the International Paper portfolio, ”said Brent Cook, Raser’s CEO. “We also reviewed other data related to the properties such as well logs, water chemistry, heat flow studies, surface manifestations and existing power structures to identify those properties that fit within our geothermal profile.”

"During the next 36 months we will complete our analysis of the properties and will likely further reduce the number of acres that we will ultimately lease to those select properties that can meet our development time frame,” continued Mr. Cook. “The final number of properties that we will lease will likely only be a fraction of the 78,000 acres in Oregon and Washington. This process of elimination will assure that we have selected the highest potential geothermal properties of the International Paper portfolio that we were able to evaluate.”

International Paper has identified 435,000 acres in its nationwide 3.5 million acre geothermal mineral estate as having prospective geothermal resources. Raser has the exclusive right to evaluate 229,000 acres in Oregon and Washington. The financial terms and conditions of the agreement were not disclosed. For more information

Congress Passes Energy Bill: Tax Credits Removed, Geothermal Research Provisions Passes

2007-12-21T07:17:00.000-08:00

GEOTHERMAL ENERGY ASSOCIATION. 12/20/07
After numerous debates, Congress finally passed an energy bill which the President promptly signed. The final bill did not include any tax provisions, which were removed after the Senate failed to obtain the 60 votes necessary to close debate by a one-vote margin. However, the final bill does include the “Advanced Geothermal Energy Research and Development Act of 2007.” These research provisions are based upon compromise language between House and Senate bills that sought to revitalize geothermal research in light of recent reports by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) that show geothermal energy can be a major energy source in the future with continued federal support for market and technology advances.

The Senate passed an energy bill that “will advance geothermal research and development for decades to come,” according to the Geothermal Energy Association (GEA), the trade association for the industry.

The underlying research bills were HR 2304, sponsored by Rep. Jerry McNerney (D-CA) and S.1543 introduced by Senate Energy Committee Chairman Jeff Bingaman (D-NM). Both had bipartisan co- sponsorship and support. The final provisions direct the Department of Energy to undertake a broad and aggressive research program to promote geothermal energy and authorize a total of $95 million annually for this new initiative.

“The new program of geothermal research set forth in the energy bill will help push the geothermal industry into a new era of advanced technology and expanded development,” said Karl Gawell, GEA’s Executive Director. “The geothermal provisions come at a crucial time in the history of the industry. Renewed research, development, and public-private partnerships are needed to continue the momentum we’ve seen in the past few years.”

CNN Money Covers Raser's Geothermal Push

2007-11-15T15:55:00.000-08:00

NEW YORK (Dow Jones) -- Raser Technologies Chairman Kraig Higginson eyes the vast tracts of empty land in the Western U.S. as the target of acquisition push by companies seeking to tap into the region's close-to-the-surface heat for geothermal electricity.

"There's only one jack rabbit per 100 square miles," Higginson joked about the region known as the ring of fire, including Nevada, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona. "There's a gold rush for geothermal leases, but fortunately we rushed early." read article

Additional Raser Geothermal Sites Awarded QF Status from Federal Agency

2007-11-08T12:33:00.000-08:00

Raser Technologies, Inc. (NYSE Arca: RZ) announced today that two additional geothermal power production facilities have received certification as Qualifying Facilities from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Raser also announced the signing of additional leases in Southern Utah.

Provo, Utah, November 7, 2007 -- Raser Technologies, Inc. (NYSE Arca: RZ) announced today that two additional geothermal power production facilities have received certification as Qualifying Facilities from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Raser also announced the signing of additional leases in Southern Utah.

QF status is awarded to qualifying renewable power production facilities and provides significant flexibility to Raser in its power sales because it grants Raser the option to require the host utility to purchase the power plant’s electrical output. It also gives the QF certain privileges regarding interconnection and access to the transmission grid. Geothermal QFs are also exempt from various provisions of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 2005 (PUHCA), certain state laws and regulations respecting the rates and other financial and organizational aspects, and most sections of the Federal Power Act.

“The awarding of QF status is an important event in the development of these geothermal resources,” stated Brent M. Cook, Raser’s CEO. “We continue to see increasing demand for renewable, green electric power, and we are well positioned to take advantage of these favorable market dynamics. These certifications continue our progress along our expected timeline for putting a number of our power plants into production in 2008. Our goal is to initiate the construction of approximately 100 megawatts of geothermal power generation capacity per year for the first three years and 150 megawatts per year thereafter.”

Raser also announced today that it has secured additional geothermal rights in Utah under the terms of three newly signed lease agreements. Raser has secured the rights to the geothermal resources on 5,000 acres located in two counties in Southern Utah. The lease terms are 10 years and are renewable for additional periods based on development activity or upon the payment of minimum rental payments. The financial terms of the leases are undisclosed. Raser now has over 57,000 acres under lease in Utah alone for geothermal development.

Raser Listed as One of Nine Hot Geothermal Stocks

2007-11-07T08:05:00.000-08:00

One of the alternative energy industries that hasn't received much press coverage is the geothermal group of stocks. Geothermal generation utilizes natural underground heat sources that powers a turbine which turns a generator. The word 'geothermal' comes from the Greek words 'geo', which means 'earth', and 'therme,' which means 'heat'. As it turns out, several of these geothermal stocks have been steaming in terms of stock price. As it turns out, several of these geothermal stocks have been steaming in terms of stock price. Read full article
Here is the list:

Calpine Corporation (CPNLQ.PK), was founded in 1984. This San Jose-based company provides electricity in the United States, and Canada through the ownership, and operation of its own power generation plants. It owns 19 geothermal power plants at The Geysers in California. Its earnings have been negative, but revenues were up about 27% for the latest quarter.

Constellation Energy Group (CEG), was founded in 1906. This electrical generating company owns, and operates generating plants and fuel processing facilities utilizing various types of fuel including nuclear, coal, natural gas, oil, solar, geothermal, hydro and biomass. It has a P/E of 15.8, and a PEG of 1.43. Its yield is 2%.

IdaCorp, Inc. (IDA), is the holding company that owns the Idaho Power Company, which is involved in the generation, transmission, distribution, and sale of electric energy primarily in southern Idaho, and eastern Oregon. Its electrical generation comes from hydroelectric, natural gas, diesel, coal, and geothermal plants. It has a P/E of 12.6, and a PEG of2.92. It has a yield of 3.8%.

Nevada Geothermal Power, Inc. [NGLPF.OB], explores for, and develops geothermal projects in the United States to provide electricity. It owns a 100% leasehold interest in the Blue Mountain, Pumpernickel, and Black Warrior projects in Nevada, and the Crump Geyser Project, in southern Oregon.

Ormat Technologies Inc. (ORA), is a Nevada-based company, that was founded in 1965, and trades on the New York Stock Exchange. It owns, and operates geothermal power plants, that sell electricity in the United States, Guatemala, Kenya, Nicaragua, and the Philippines. It also provides products, and services to other geothermal power generators. It has a P/E of 70.2, a PEG of 2.67, and a yield of 0.5%.

PG&E Corp. (PCG), is a California-based electric, and gas utility which serves 5 million customers. Its electrical generation comes from natural gas, nuclear, hydro, coal, geothermal, wind, and several other types of renewable sources. It has a P/E of 15.6, and a PEG of 2.08. Its yield is 3.2%.

Polaris Geothermal (PGTHF.PK), is a developer of renewable energy in Latin America. It is currently developing a 66 MW geothermal project on its San Jacinto Tizate concession in Nicaragua.

Raser Technologies (RZ), is a Utah-based company that was founded in 2003, and trades on the New York Stock Exchange. It develops high performance electric motor, and controller technology. In addition, it has secured geothermal rights to certain Nevada properties owned by Truckee River Ranches, LLC, under the terms of a 50-year lease agreement. Its earnings have been negative.

Sierra Geothermal Power Corp [SRAGF.PK)], is a developer of renewable power from geothermal sources. It has investments in 15 geothermal projects located in Nevada, and California.

U.S. Geothermal Inc. (UGTH.OB) , is a Boise-based company, that was founded in 2002. It is involved in the development of geothermal energy power plants in the Raft River area of Idaho. Its earnings for the latest quarter were negative.

Western GeoPower Corp [WGPWF.PK] , develops geothermal energy projects. It owns the Unit 15 Steam Field located in The Geyser Geothermal Field in California, and in the South Meager Geothermal Project in British Columbia, Canada.

WFI Industries (WFILF.PK), is a Fort Wayne, Indiana company that develops, and manufactures geothermal heating and cooling systems, for both residential, and commercial customers. It has a P/E of 35.5.

Disclosure: The author does not own any of the above.

Raser Exhibits Geothermal Devlopment at California Governor's Conference-Tony Blair Discusses Climate Change

2007-10-24T15:26:00.000-07:00

Raser Technologies was invited to Exhibit and show its Geothermal renewable enegy developments at the California Governor and First Lady's Conference in Long Beach California.

Raser displayed its low temperature technology and modular strategy to rapidly deploy and develop geothermal power plants that make power from the abundance of low and medium temperature resources throughout the west. Geothermal is one of the most environmentally friendly ways to generate power with virtually zero emissions.

Former Prime-Minister, Tony Blair was one of the keynote speakers at the conference. He said something notable regarding taking action on global warming even if we aren't completely sure yet if it is real.

Tony Blair said There has been some controversy about global warming and that he has personally spoken to some of the top scientists and he is convinced that it is real. He added, "regardless of whether you believe it is real or not, there is very little down-side to taking action. Blair added "even if we are wrong about global warming, if the world does takes action, then we will have at least reduced pollution and found better ways to live. "

"On the other hand," Blair added, "if we don't act, then we are betraying our children and future generations... and we don't have the right to do that."

Also read this background article on Governor Schwarzenegger and Tony Blair regarding global warming
Also see this background article on their global warming agreement.

Raser Completes Drilling Phase of Geothermal Production Well

2007-10-17T07:02:00.000-07:00

Raser Technologies, Inc. announced recently that the Company has completed drilling on a geothermal production well in central Nevada for use in a binary-cycle geothermal power plant for generating clean, renewable electric power. Preliminary readings of well 68-04 indicate the existence of geothermal resources with promising water temperature and flow characteristics, subject to further testing and evaluation. Detailed testing for the reservoirís properties has now commenced with final results pending.

"We are pleased with the preliminary results of this drilling program," stated Brent M. Cook, Raserís CEO, "and look forward to executing on our business plan. Our initial review of the information from this well is encouraging, however precise data will not be available until further flow testing and verification can be conducted."
Read Article

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid Favors Geothermal & Other Renewables over Coal

2007-09-05T17:27:00.000-07:00

PAHRUMP -- Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said last Wednesday that he opposes the development of three coal-fired power plants in Nevada and favors the development of nenewable energy sources such as geothermal
The senator contends that Nevada can obtain enough new power generation from renewable power such as solar, wind and geothermal resources in the form of hot underground water to supply the states growing need for energy.

In addition he said that large building owners could build combined heat and power systems that create both heat and power from a single source, he said. Consumers could take steps to reduce power consumption and install solar power systems to generate some of their needs, according to Reid's proposal.

From the Ely Times August 23, 2007.

UTC Power Geothermal System Used by Raser Named R&D 100 Award Winner

2007-09-05T17:03:00.000-07:00

SOUTH WINDSOR, Conn., July 10 /PRNewswire-UTC Power, a United Technologies company, today announced that its PureCycle(R) geothermal power system developed with United Technologies Research Center in East Hartford, Conn., has been recognized by R&D Magazine as one of the 100 most technologically significant products introduced during the past year. On April 12, 2007, UTC Power and Raser announced an long-term agreement to work together using the PureCycle geothermal systems at many of Raser's geothermal sites.

Chena Hot Springs Resort is one of the first sites to use the PureCycle system. The resort is 60 miles from Fairbanks, Alaska, and 35 miles off the power grid. It has the first geothermal power plant in Alaska and is the site of the lowest temperature geothermal resource (165 degrees Fahrenheit) ever used for commercial power generation in the world. Prior to the operation of the power plant at Chena, the lowest temperature geothermal resource ever developed for commercial power generation was 208 degrees Fahrenheit.

Geothermal systems are recognized as the most reliable form of renewable energy available because they do not depend on clear skies, windy days or rainfall. Although geothermal energy addresses many of our national concerns, its potential is largely untapped. UTC Power's PureCycle system represents an innovative advancement in geothermal energy production that offers the possibility of tapping into significant U.S. geothermal reserves for a domestic, renewable, continuously available source of power to meet our growing energy demands.

Senate Leader Harry Reid and Senators Allard and Salazar Introduce Renewable

2007-06-08T11:08:00.000-07:00

Senators Harry Reid (D-NV), Wayne Allard (R-CO) and Ken Salazar (D-CO) introduced S. 1531, the Securing Americaís Energy Independence Act of 2007 on Friday, May 25th. The bill would, in part:

Senators Harry Reid (D-NV), Wayne Allard (R-CO) and Ken Salazar (D-CO) introduced S. 1531, the Securing Americaís Energy Independence Act of 2007 on Friday, May 25th. The bill would, in part:
• Provide a 10 percent tax credit (section 38) for geothermal exploration expenditures related to the drilling of exploratory wells for geothermal deposits;
• Extend the renewable electricity production tax credit for ten years (until 2019), and allow projects under construction at that time to qualify;
• Provide an annual volume cap for Clean Renewable Energy Bonds (CREBs) issuing authority of $1 billion for ten years (until 2019);
• Provide $300 million in zero-interest bond issuing authority for school systems in certain states (NV, AZ, UT, ID, CO, MT) to purchase and install renewable energy products and systems; and
• Permit states to use existing Industrial Development Revenue Bonds for renewable energy resource facilities.

Utah and California Governors Team up on Global Warming

2007-05-21T13:50:00.000-07:00

Gov. Jon M. Huntsman Jr. is teaming up with California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to terminate climate change.
Schwarzenegger, a fellow GOP leader whose state is credited with waging the nation's most aggressive assault on climate change visited Utah Monday as part of a six state movement and part of a Western Region Climate Action Initiative.
"It's in line with the priorities I have for the state," Huntsman said of the Western Regional Climate Action Initiative. "Climate change is a real issue and one that we all need to get smart about."
The move comes in the weeks after a series of international reports that suggest people worldwide need to prepare for climate change and that reasonable solutions are available to address it. In the West, the effect are expected to be more and deeper droughts.
The partnership also comes a few days after Huntsman announced that Utah would join a registry developing standardized measuring tools for the greenhouse gasses blamed for climate change, tools needed when those gasses eventually face government or market-based controls.
Read Article

Geothermal Development Could Increase 55% by 2010 says Report

2007-05-18T14:15:00.000-07:00

The US Geothermal Energy Association has released a report assessing the progress in worldwide geothermal development since 2005. The report, titled, "Update on World Geothermal Development," concludes, "Geothermal development is accelerating." According to the assessment, the number of countries producing power from geothermal resources could increase 120%, from 21 countries in 2000 to as many as 46 countries in 2010. Total geothermal capacity online could increase over 55%, from 8661 MW in 2000 to 13,500 MW or more in 2010. (Source: PR Newswire, Apr. 30, '07)

Contact: Karl Gawell, Exec. Dir. US Geothermal Energy Association, telephone: (202) 454-5264, email: karl@geo-energy.org, www.geo-energy.org. To request a copy of the report, email: research@geo-energy.org, www.geo-energy.org, www.geo-energy.org/publications/reports.asp,

Raser Teams with United Technologies to Build Clean Geothermal Power Plants

2007-04-20T08:35:00.000-07:00

Provo-based Raser Technologies announced that it will partner with United Technologies Corp. to build its first three geothermal power plants.
"We believe these types of renewable energy-producing power plants will be a significant part of the U.S. power production portfolio in the future," Brent M. Cook, Raser's chief executive officer, said in a statement Thursday. "Accelerated development of domestic geothermal resources will produce electricity in an environmentally friendly way and contribute to energy independence." Read Article

Southern California Edison Leading Nation's Renewable Energy with Geothermal

2007-04-13T10:46:00.000-07:00

Southern California Edison (SCE) announced 2006 renewable energy purchases and deliveries led the nation with 7.5 billion kWh of Geothermal energy, which is over three 3 times the energy delivered by SCE from wind sources and over 12 times the amount from solar sources. read article in Morningstar

Raser Gets Geothermal Deal With United Technologies

2007-04-12T21:20:00.000-07:00

Shares of electric motor maker Raser Technologies Inc. soared Thursday after the company said it reached a deal to work with industrial giant United Technologies Corp. on power plants that use the earth's heat to generate electricity.
Read Full Article in Forbes

Hearing on Production Tax Credit Received Well by Committee

2007-04-05T09:49:00.000-07:00

A recent hearing in the Senate Finance Committee titled, “Clean Energy: From the Margins to the Mainstream,” featured His Excellency John Bruton, Ambassador, European Commission Delegation; John Krenicki, President and Chief Executive Officer, General Electric Energy; Todd Raba, President, MidAmerican Energy Company (MEO), Des Moines, IA; Johan van’t Hof, Chief Executive Officer, Tonbridge Corporation, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; and Dr. Ryan H. Wiser, Scientist, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California.

Addressing geothermal, Raba said:

With regard to geothermal, hydro, biomass and waste-to-energy generation…these resources are more geographically limited than wind; they function as dispatchable, baseload resources, enhancing their value. Drilling new geothermal wells or upgrading existing hydro facilities to create incremental power expansions is highly capital intensive. The vast majority of these projects cannot be completed within the short placed-in-service time frames under the existing PTC legislation, thus severely limiting new investments.

MidAmerican has suggested that Congress consider allowing flexibility with regard to placed-in-service dates for projects involving baseload renewables. We believe this could be done at little budget cost if the law allows projects under construction and with output contracts in place to opt in to tax treatment that reduce the ten-year application of the PTC by a length of time equivalent to the period between date of expiration of the placed-in-service date and the completion of the project. In other words, if a project was brought on line six months after the expiration of the placed-in-service date, it could choose to receive the tax credit for only nine and on-half years instead of ten.

The better answer, though, would be a five- or ten-year extension of the PTC that would provide long-term certainty to utilities, independent project developers and manufacturers while solving the base load renewable issue.

The speakers, who focused predominantly upon wind energy, agreed across the board that a ten year extension of the production tax credit would be one of the best actions Congress could take to ensure continued renewable development. Several speakers suggested coupling the PTC with a renewable portfolio standard.

The committee responded favorably to the proposed enhancements of the PTC, both in terms of a placed in service change and also an extension of the credit. Chairman Baucus said that renewables are “more important now than they were when we last extended the credit,” Some industry insiders expect a stand-alone energy tax bill to come out of the finance committee this summer.

When Senator Baucus asked about “scaling down” the tax credit over time in order to reduce the cost to the treasury, speakers generally agreed that such action would be reasonable if a tax credit was allocated over a ten year timeframe, rather than the usual one to two year extensions. Wiser cautioned that the costs of wind energy have increased in the past four years (largely due to increases in the price of wind turbines), and so Congress should not scale down too quickly. Long term, stable policy emerged often as the most pressing need for renewable energy producers.

Transmission issues were also discussed at length, with van’t Hof speaking almost exclusively about the difficulties surrounding renewables and transmission. According to van’t Hof, the need for transmission, specifically related to renewables, is continuing to grow. Raba said the following about transmission:

Combining the remote location of most of our renewable potential with the potential with the diffuse nature of these resources, transmission becomes a disproportionately larger component of the retail cost compared to conventional resources. This situation will only grow more pronounced as we increase the amount of renewable generation, because the most cost-effective locations have already been developed.

Burton, who opened the hearing, spoke about the example some EU countries have set of using taxation to reach renewable energy goals. “Polluters must pay,” Burton said. He expressed “concern” about the growing use of coal energy around the world, and discussed the importance of sequestration activities, which, he noted, are still in the early research stage both in Europe and in America. When pressed about the “one message about renewables” he’d like to leave with Congress, he cited renewables as a “vital” part of any system dealing with electricity needs and climate change. Renewables are a necessary part, but not the only part, he said.
See Hearing Website

Renewable Energy Trades, Including GEA, Call For Increased R&D Funding

2007-04-03T12:50:00.000-07:00

Senator Menendez Seeks Support from Other Senators for Full Funding of Renewable Energy Research

"In a March 21 letter to the Chair and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Energy and Water Appropriations, GEA, the American Wind Energy Association, Solar Energy Industries Association, and National Hydropower Association called for increased funding for renewable energy programs in the federal FY2008 budget. Noting that each of these renewable energy technologies has the vast potential to help solve our energy and climate problems, the groups explained that robust funding for R&D is needed to accelerate adoption of these technologies and strengthen energy independence, create jobs, and provide more clean, reliable, domestic electricity generation. The groups’ request for geothermal energy is $113 million in FY 21008. The funding levels recommended for the other technologies are $250 million for solar, $22 million for hydropower, and $110 million for wind." More info...

"In the Senate, Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) has circulated a draft letter to Senators Dorgan and Domenici, Chairman and Ranking Minority Member of the Senate Energy and Water Appropriations Committee, respectively. The draft letter supports full funding for these renewable programs. “These programs represent critical investments for our nation’s energy future,” the letter argues, “and we respectfully urge you to fund them at robust levels.” Senator Menendez is looking for support from other Senate offices. As of last week when the letter first began circulation, Senators Wyden and Lieberman had agreed to co-sign the letter."

US Senate Takes Steps to Restore DOE Geothermal Research Program

2007-03-30T12:53:00.000-07:00

2007 Geothermal Funds Restored in Senate Appropriations Bill, $50 Million Program Included in 2008 Budget

"Today, the Senate began consideration of its version of the FY 2007 Supplemental Appropriations bill, S.965 (S. Rept 110-37). This legislation provides the funding requested by the White House to continue the Iraq War and a variety of other government programs. The Senate Appropriations Committee also included $22.7 million to fund the DOE Geothermal Program this year in the bill. (S. 965, Title III, section 3201.) Senator Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND), Chairman of the Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee, led the effort to restore FY 2007 funding.

Also, on Friday March 23, the Senate approved its FY 2008 budget resolution, and included in the final bill an amendment, proposed by Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), that makes room in the FY 2008 energy budget for geothermal, ocean energy and small scale hydro-electric research at the Department of Energy. The amendment provides $50 million for geothermal research and development.

On Thursday evening, Senator Lisa Murkowski told the Senate she was offering this amendment because “..the budget shortchanges three areas of great energy potential: geothermal, ocean energy and small hydro electric development.” Senator Murkowski continued, “..by this amendment I am making a clear statement that this senator wants to see money not just restored, but increased for geothermal energy research and development, and provided for research and development of all forms of ocean energy – current, tidal and wave projects -- and also for small hydroelectric developments, those that do not involving the damming of major river systems, but instead use water from lake taps, creeks or from run-of-river projects to generate power.”

The amendment was supported by Senator Reid and others, and was adopted on voice vote as part of a package of amendments to the final bill. The amendment would reverse Administration initiatives to achieve “major savings” in the federal budget by closing these two renewable research programs. The Administration proposed termination of all hydropower research in its FY 2006 budget, and termination of all geothermal research in its FY 2007 and FY 2008 budgets."

The New Math of Alternative Energy

2007-03-19T15:17:00.000-07:00

Geothermal Holds More Potential at Less Impact to Society

Now the equation is showing significant signs of change. Costs are falling for some alternative-energy sources, driven by new technology and renewed development interest. The math looks even more favorable if you consider the environmental cost of fossil fuels -- which most purely economic calculations don't.

Geothermal energy -- tapping heat deep in the Earth to generate power -- may have more potential, at less impact to society, than any of the other alternative resources. A new study on geothermal energy, produced by an interdisciplinary team at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, found that geothermal energy could produce 10% of the nation's electricity by 2050 at prices that would be competitive with fossil fuels.

read article

National Renewable Portfolio Standards Bill Introduced

2007-03-19T14:45:00.000-07:00

New legislation that would require many U.S. utilities to generate 20 percent of their electricity from renewable energy resources by 2020 was introduced Thursday by Congressman Tom Udall of New Mexico. "

A renewable portfolio standard should be passed this Congress," said Alan Nogee, Union of Concerned Scientist Clean Energy Program Director. "The bill gives the American people what they asked for in the election -- a smart, cost-effective strategy to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and get America on a track toward energy independence. And because power plants are a primary source of heat-trapping emissions, this bill can be an important part of solving global warming."
read article

Renewable geothermal energy holds promise, but it gets little attention

2007-03-19T13:09:00.000-07:00

By Robert Gehrke
The Salt Lake Tribune

Geologists believe Utah sits on one of the prime reservoirs of geothermal energy in the United States, an energy resource that is clean, renewable, reliable and, to date, almost entirely untapped.

And, in a time when President Bush has called in his State of the Union address for an aggressive expansion of renewable energy, geothermal enjoys little support from the administration.

Last week, as other renewable energy sources were the focus of major new initiatives, Bush once again proposed eliminating the Energy Department's office focused on expanding geothermal energy. more...

Abundant Power from Universal Geothermal Energy

2007-03-16T13:26:00.000-07:00

The answer to the world's energy needs may have been under our feet all this time, according to Jefferson Tester, professor of chemical engineering at the MIT Laboratory for Energy and the Environment. Tester says heat generated deep within the earth by the decay of naturally occurring isotopes has the potential to supply a tremendous amount of power -- thousands of times more than we now consume each year.
read more

Energy Clients Getting Green

2007-03-16T13:22:00.000-07:00

"RENEWABLE ENERGY makes up only a small fraction of U.S. energy use — 6 percent, according to the most recent figures from the Energy Information Administration — but the buzz over renewables is huge, and the number of renewable deals being done is increasing rapidly..."
read more

Geothermal Advocates Go to Washington

2007-03-16T13:21:00.000-07:00

The following presentations were given at the March 1, 2007 briefing on geothermal energy to members of the U.S. Congress. This second annual briefing was hosted by Geothermal Energy Association (GEA) and the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and featured the following presenters:

(1) Bernie Karl, Chena Hot Springs Resort, Alaska

(2) Karl Gawell, Geothermal Energy Association (GEA)

(3) Jefferson Tester, Professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

(4) Roy Mink, U.S. Geothermal Inc.*

(5) Paul Thomsen, Ormat Technologies Inc.

A Step Toward Inexpensive Geothermal Energy

2007-03-16T13:13:00.000-07:00

Advocates call it one of the cleanest, sustainable energy resources available. However, steep construction, equipment and drilling costs have prevented more widespread development of geothermal technology. An Ohio University hydrothermal systems expert is working to change that... read article

Analysis: Cost of Clean vs. Conventional Energy

2007-03-16T13:11:00.000-07:00

By Scott Sklar—Let us take a hypothetical 300 MW combined renewable energy plant composed equally of geothermal or microhydro/tidal, photovoltaics or concentrated solar power, and wind—all with 20-year warranted output—able to produce electricity 24 hours, 7 days per week. Now I probably can provide a combined cost including operations and maintenance over these 20 years. But now comes the challenge. Can I find a conventional technology which can provide energy, without any fuel escalation, with zero emissions, and no waste to compete against this plant? read article

Growth Forecast in Renewable Energy Markets

2007-03-16T13:01:00.000-07:00

"Global clean-energy markets are poised to quadruple in the next decade, growing from $55.4 billion in revenues in 2006 to more than $226.5 billion by 2016 for four benchmark technologies, according to the sixth annual Clean Energy Trends report."read full report

MIT-led panel backs 'heat mining' as key U.S. energy source

2007-03-16T09:46:00.000-07:00

A comprehensive new MIT-led study of the potential for geothermal energy within the United States has found that mining the huge amounts of heat that reside as stored thermal energy in the Earth's hard rock crust could supply a substantial portion of the electricity the United States will need in the future, probably at competitive prices and with minimal environmental impact. more...