USA, Nevada: The Policy Committee of the Geothermal Resources Council Supports Renewable Energy Ballot Measure

Vote yes on 6 — solutions to Nevada's clean energy future are underground: Nordquist (Reno Gazette Journal)

Josh Nordquist

Josh Nordquist is the interim chair of the Geothermal Resources Council Policy Committee.

Nevada’s state-of-the-art geothermal facilities are vital to ensuring that electricity demand is met, power bills are low, local communities prosper and Nevada’s economy and environment remain vibrant.

Today, Nevada produces hundreds of megawatts from geothermal power plants and has the second-highest geothermal reserves in the nation, enabling it to easily bring online more low-cost, renewable resources.

Right now, much of that potential languishes untapped while fossil fuels continue to flow.

Question 6, a ballot measure sponsored by Nevadans for a Clean Energy Future, guarantees that 50 percent of the state’s power supply will come from renewable energy by 2030, helping to ensure that renewable electricity resources are fully utilized.

The Policy Committee of the Geothermal Resources Council and the geothermal industry support Question 6. 

Currently, about 20 percent of the power in the state is renewable, while two-thirds of the electricity we consume comes from fossil fuels like natural gas, which costs us more than $700 million annually to pipe in from other states.

Geothermal is a unique renewable resource that provides voltage regulation, flexible capacity and inertia, making the electrical grid reliable and stable. Geothermal enables greater amounts of wind and solar to come online, which is instrumental to achieving higher renewable requirements.

No state is better positioned to increase its use of low-cost, indigenous renewable resources than the Silver State. The time is now for Nevada to approve Question 6, increase our reliance on renewables and transition away from a coal- and natural‐gas‐dominated electricity system.

What does more geothermal development mean to you?

• Every additional 30 MW geothermal development in Nevada has a $200 million economic impact in the local community
• Every additional 30 MW geothermal development in Nevada employs more than 300 local workers in our communities
• Every additional 30 MW geothermal development in Nevada avoids 140,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually
• Let’s stop ignoring what’s right below us and start thinking about the future. Whether you want cheaper power, a sustainable economic boom or cleaner air, there are plenty of reasons to vote “yes” on Question 6 in November.