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| McGinness Hills Geothermal Power Plant (GRC Fieldtrip 2015 - Photo by Ian Crawford) |
An expansion underway at the McGinness Hills Geothermal Facility near Austin will make the Ormat Technologies Inc. complex the largest geothermal power generating facility in the state, and the largest located on Bureau of Land Management property.
The Bureau of Land Management, Mount Lewis Field Office, completed its analysis of Ormat Inc.’s proposal for an expansion to its McGinness Hills Geothermal Facility on Jan. 18. The decision of record allows operations to begin at the Phase III project site, and construction is expected to be completed in December 2018.
Commercial production at the McGinness Hills Geothermal facility began in July 2012, and Ormat completed a second phase in 2015. The first two phases gave the complex a generating capacity of 86 megawatts, and power from phases I and II feeds the Nevada Energy grid. Once Phase III is completed, generating capacity is expected to increase to 134 MW. Phase III will contribute power to the Southern California Public Power Authority.
From the Global Geothermal News archives:
- Thursday, January 18, 2018 - USA, Nevada: BLM Approves 48 MW Ormat Phase III Expansion of McGinness Hills Geothermal Plant
- Friday, November 17, 2017 - USA, Nevada: Environmental Assessment for the 45 MW Phase III McGinness Hills Geothermal Expansion Project Available for Public Comment
- Friday, October 2, 2015 - Photos from 2015 GRC Annual Meeting: GRC Fieldtrip to McGinness Hills Geothermal Plant