USA, Colorado:

Optimism for Geothermal Project in Colorado (The Durango Herald)

Jerry Smith (Courtesy Durango Herald)

Renewable-energy supporters and producers celebrated this spring when Colorado legislators approved doubling the amount of renewable energy rural cooperatives must use by the year 2020. Legislators who supported the bill said it would provide expanded opportunities for wind, solar and biomass projects that are popping up in rural areas.

One renewable energy source notably absent from Colorado’s list of current projects, however, is geothermal power generation. As it stands, there are no active geothermal power generation projects in the state. It’s a statistic that Pagosa Springs businessman Jerry Smith is determined to change, though the process has taken him five years and likely will take several more.

GRC member Jerry Smith sees potential for development of geothermal energy but says that securing financing for geothermal projects is a significant challenge. His company, Pagosa Verde, has two geothermal projects in the works, including one just south of Pagosa Springs.

Read More.....