Preliminary results show that near-surface temperature gradients in the basin vary from about 33⁰F/1000 feet to 55⁰F/1000 feet. This implies temperatures of 300 to 500⁰F at 10,000 to 13,000 feet depth beneath the basin. Given the large area of this basin, the power potential is conservatively estimated to be hundreds of megawatts, and preliminary economic modeling suggests a cost of electricity of about 10c per kilowatt-hour over the life of a geothermal power project. This basin is especially attractive for geothermal development because of the existing nearby infrastructure ─ it is next to a large coal-fired power plant, a 300 MWe wind farm, and a major electrical transmission line to California.
The project findings are being presented on Monday, October 1, at the annual meeting of the Geothermal Resources Council in Reno, Nevada.
