News
Oct 07, 2009Churchill County: A hot spot for geothermal
A wealth of geothermal resources and ready power transmission lines makes Churchill County one of the state’s hottest areas for geothermal power development - and provides a financial windfall to the county as well.
Several companies already have established geothermal resources some 60 miles east of Carson City in Churchill County:
- Ormat Technologies operates the Brady Complex and Desert Peak plants, which generate about 22 megawatts.
- Magma Energy is working on an $18.2 million plan to double the capacity of its 11-megawatt Soda Lake operation to 23 megawatts. Completion is targeted for early 2010.
Ormat plans an additional facility in the Salt Wells area. The Carson Lake project is estimated between 18 and 30 megawatts and could be online by 2011, says Paul Thomsen, director for policy and business development for Ormat Technologies.
“Geothermal starts in the last few years have added millions of dollar to our economy, added hundreds of jobs and kept Churchill County in the black,” says County Manager Brad Goetsch.
Goetsch says the county uses less than 10 percent of the geothermal power it generates and has tapped less than 5 percent of the region’s potential. The geothermal industry expects to spend close to $2 billion in exploration in Churchill County in next five to six years, Goetsch says.
“We are talking in the millions to tens of millions of dollars coming in tax revenues if geothermal continues to develop,” he says. “Geothermal has a bright future, and renewables are truly a way to diversify and replace what’s been lost in construction and gaming.”
To read the full article click here.Comments
Leave a comment:
Commenting is not available in this weblog entry.
