USA, Alaska:

Will Pilgrim Hot Springs Solve Nome’s Energy Needs? (Alaska Dispatch)

Pilgrim Hot Springs Area (Courtesy ACEP UAF)

After drilling several test holes at a hot springs near Nome, scientists and prospective developers of a planned geothermal electric project still haven’t found the energy they need. But they may be getting close.

A production-size hole -- big enough to be turned into a working geothermal power plant -- was drilled in September. It produced plenty of water, one of the requirements for a planned 2 MWe power plant. But the water wasn’t quite hot enough. Two smaller holes were later drilled into the tundra at Pilgrim Hot Springs, 60 miles northeast of Nome, in mid-October to test for hotter water temperatures, but scientists aren’t sure yet if the site will produce fluid near 190 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s the threshold for a geothermal plant to produce enough energy at the site to make it a worthwhile endeavor.

Read More.....