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The 36th Geothermal Resources Council (GRC) Annual Meeting and the Geothermal Energy Association (GEA) Energy Expo are taking place at the Peppermill Resort Spa Casino through Wednesday, bringing in an estimated 2,200 attendees from around the globe.
Both groups have brought their signature annual events to the area before, citing the region’s growth as a geothermal hub for the industry.
“Northern Nevada is literally a hot spot for the geothermal power industry, both in terms of the U.S.A. but also worldwide,” said Ian Crawford, a spokesman for the GRC. “Reno has the headquarters of a number of important players in the industry and is the location of the National Geothermal Academy. In other years we go to San Diego, Las Vegas, and Portland, for example, but Reno offers the best location. It’s like coming home.”
This year’s joint event has attracted attendees from 30 countries, including China, Japan, Thailand, Canada, Mexico and Iceland. Organizers are also billing it as the largest annual gathering of the international geothermal community and a key event for the sector.
“A lot of networking takes place at the meeting and a lot of business deals are made,” Crawford said. “Geothermal power projects both here in Nevada and around the world are started at (this event).”
Besides networking, the event also has a big educational component as international experts in the field hold technical presentations about the latest developments in the field. Some of the presentations also address the impact of federal policies and politics on the sector.
The fact that both groups have consistently returned to the area is a positive reflection on Northern Nevada’s geothermal industry, said Tom Clark, a renewable energy lobbyist with Holland & Hart LLP. The exposure certainly does not hurt, given the challenges faced by the state and the geothermal sector as a whole, Clark said. Clark pointed out the findings of Reno 2020 -- a joint economic project between the Reno Gazette-Journal and the Center for Regional Studies at the University of Nevada, Reno -- including the need for Nevada to diversify its economy.
“This helps us tremendously ... not just from the perspective of showing what resources we have here but also improving prospects for future development,” Clark said. “One thing we learned from Reno 2020 is that geothermal continues to have its struggles. From an industry and international perspective, however, Northern Nevada continues to be seen as the epicenter of geothermal development in the nation and that’s important.”
