USA:

Students Shine a Spotlight on Geothermal Energy and Discover Career Pathways (Renewable Energy World)

Finalists in the 2014 National Geothermal Student Competition presented their entries at the 38th GRC Annual Meeting

Tyler Ricketts, Desmond Stubbs and Lee Ingram (left to right) are pictured at the student poster session of the Geothermal Resources Council Annual Meeting in September 2014. Ricketts and Ingram are members of the University of Mississippi Geothermal Student Competition team, and Desmond Stubbs is the ORAU senior program manager for the competition.  

The consensus among advocates of geothermal energy seems to be that geothermal energy is a great alternative resource, but not enough people know what it is. Student competitors in the 2014 National Geothermal Student Competition, were faced with the fundamental challenge of addressing this issue.

Hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Geothermal Technologies Office, the Geothermal Student Competition was started in 2010 to advance understanding of geothermal energy. The competition engages students from colleges and universities nationwide on challenges within the field of geothermal energy such as comprehensive assessments of geothermal resource potential, research studies on geothermal power development and business plans for developing a geothermal enterprise. This year the challenge was a little different: student teams were tasked to develop a way to communicate geothermal energy to the public.

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Technology:

Geothermal Energy: America's Forgotten Renewable (Ox Nerd Productions)

GRC Member Aaron Ochsner has made a documentary based on interviews he conducted at the GRC Annual Meeting in Portland, Oregon.

(Video: 17:27 Minutes)

Geothermal energy, perhaps the most underutilized renewable energy resource in the U.S., has gained significant technological and economic traction in recent years. Despite this progress, geothermal energy seems to be overshadowed by other forms of renewable energy.

The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that only ONE PERCENT of the heat energy contained within the upper 10 km of Earth’s crust is equivalent to 500 times the amount of energy contained in ALL of Earth’s oil and gas reserves. Why, then, does geothermal energy receive so little attention, and remain so misunderstood by the general public?

USA, Africa:

Geothermal Key to Powering Africa (OPIC)

By Stephen Morel, Climate Finance Specialist, OPIC

Power Africa Coordinator Andrew Herscowitz
at the GRC Annual Meeting

In the next three years, Africa is expected to see an unprecedented amount of geothermal power come online. Through President Obama’s Power Africa initiative, the U.S. Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) is poised to be a key player in unlocking the potential of geothermal on the continent. During the Geothermal Resources Council’s 38th Annual Meeting in September, attendees explored how best to develop and invest in African geothermal power initiatives.

During the conference, Power Africa Coordinator Andrew Herscowitz detailed the Obama administration’s strong interest in developing geothermal power in East Africa. Representatives from Kenya’s Geothermal Development Company and the Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation discussed the opportunities in each country, including the areas within their countries rich in geothermal resources they are looking to develop.

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Global:

38th GRC Annual Meeting Attracts International Geothermal Industry

Over 1,400 attendees from 39 different countries gather for the largest annual meeting of the global geothermal community 

The Geothermal Resources Council (GRC), one of the world’s premier geothermal associations, has completed a successful 38th GRC Annual Meeting at the Oregon Convention Center, Portland, Oregon, USA.

At the Opening Session, GRC Annual Meeting Chair Alex Sifford welcomed the attendees from 39 different countries and introduced an array of speakers from the regional, national and global energy communities.

There was an overwhelming consensus that the event was a great success. The numbers tell the story. 844 attendees registered with the GRC for the Annual Meeting, more than last year’s meeting in Las Vegas. This included 81 students who attended for just $5. The GRC registration also included entry to the GEA Geothermal Energy Expo.

GRC Annual Meeting & GEA Geothermal Energy Expo:

Photos from the GRC Annual Meeting & GEA Expo

Images from the geothermal energy event of the year!

Over 1,000 photos from the GRC Annual Meeting & GEA Geothermal Energy Expo have been posted to the GRC Flicker website.

The event, held at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, Oregon, USA from September 28 - October 1, was a huge success attracting over 1,300 attendees from over 33 countries.

Next year's GRC Annual Meeting & Expo will be held at the Peppermill Resort Spa and Casino in Reno, Nevada from September 20 - 23, 2015.

GRC Annual Meeting & GEA Geothermal Energy Expo:

Photos from the GRC Annual Meeting & GEA Expo

Images from the geothermal energy event of the year!

Over 1,000 photos from the GRC Annual Meeting & GEA Geothermal Energy Expo have been posted to the GRC Flicker website.

The event, held at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, Oregon, USA from September 28 - October 1, was a huge success attracting over 1,300 attendees from over 33 countries.

Next year's GRC Annual Meeting & Expo will be held at the Peppermill Resort Spa and Casino in Reno, Nevada from September 20 - 23, 2015.

USA:

Colorado School of Mines and Truckee Meadows Community College Win Geothermal Student Competitions (EERE/GTO)

The US Energy Department announced the 2014 winners of the National Geothermal Student Competition and the Geothermal Case Study Challenge last week at the GRC Annual Meeting & GEA Expo in Portland, Oregon. These competitions challenged college and university students to develop professional business solutions for public outreach as well as case studies that could help industry more accurately pinpoint geothermal resources in subsurface areas across the United States.

The winning student teams—from Truckee Meadows Community College in Reno, Nevada and Colorado School of Mines in Denver, Colorado—demonstrated exceptional rigor in their research and useful interpretation of technical geothermal concepts. Geothermal energy is an important part of the Obama Administration's all-of-the-above energy strategy, supplying American homes and businesses with clean, renewable power around the clock.

National Geothermal Student Competition

Phil Ulibarri (right) accepts the plaque for 1st
prize from GTO Director Doug Hollett

The theme of this year's National Geothermal Student Competition, GeoEnergy Is Beautiful, encouraged teams to focus on a non-technical deployment barrier: communicating the benefits of geothermal energy. The contest challenged students to create innovative infographics using publicly available data, scientific understanding, and graphics, and also to develop an associated outreach strategy. The top 2014 teams are:

1. Truckee Meadow Community College
2. The University of Texas—Pan American
3. The University of Mississippi

Travis Brown (left) explains his poster

Geothermal Case Study Challenge

The Geothermal Case Study Challenge centered on aggregating geothermal data to identify trends in locating geothermal energy resources. Participating student teams produced several well-researched case studies detailing the exploration, development, and geologic history of select U.S. geothermal resource areas. The students added their case studies to OpenEI.org, the Energy Department's open-source energy information platform, to ensure that their work can inform future exploration and development efforts. The top three student teams were:

1. Colorado School of Mines, covering the Waunita Hot Springs Geothermal Area in Colorado
2. University of North Dakota, covering the Mt. Princeton Geothermal Area in Colorado
3. University of North Dakota, covering the Lightning Dock Geothermal Area in New Mexico

GRC Annual Meeting & GEA Expo:

GRC Annual Meeting  & GEA Geothermal Energy Expo

Activities for Wednesday October 1

• 6:30a – 12:00p GRC Annual Meeting Registration Desk Pre-function C
• 6:30a – 8:00a GRC Speaker Ready Room A104
• 6:30a – 8:00a GRC Speaker Breakfast A105
• 7:30a – 12:00p GEA Exhibitor Registration Desk Pre-function C
• 8:00a – 11:00a GRC Office C126
• 9:00a – 10:30a GRC Technical Sessions B110-119 + C123
• 9:00a – 12:00p GRC Poster Session Exhibit Hall C
• 9:00a – 12:00p GEA Expo Open Exhibit Hall C
• 11:30p – 1:30p GRC Membership Meeting/Awards Luncheon Oregon Ballroom 204
• 12:00n – GEA Expo Tear-Down Exhibit Hall C
• 5:00p – 7:00p CanGEA B2B Networking Reception Doubletree Hotel

More Information.......

GRC Annual Meeting and GEA Expo:

Canadian B2B Networking Reception at the GRC Annual Meeting (CanGEA)

October 1, 2014, 5:00 - 7:00 PM, Doubletree Hotel, Portland, USA

Potential Geothermal Applications in Canada (Courtesy CanGEA)

Join the Canadian Geothermal Energy Association (CanGEA) for a unique evening highlighting Canadian geothermal opportunities, technology, and expertise at our premier business to business networking session. All attendees of the GRC Annual Meeting & GEA Geothermal Energy Expo and local CleanTech companies/investors are encouraged to attend. Tickets are $15 CAD in advance and includes appetizers and an optional cash bar.

The evening will be split into three distinct segments:

• The Chair of CanGEA, Alison Thompson will deliver an overview of Canada's diverse geothermal power and direct use opportunities 
• A series of short presentations will highlight individual project opportunities, presented by their respective company representatives
• Another series of short presentations will highlight Canadian technologies and expertise presented by the industry's leading firms

More Information....              Register....

GRC Annual Meeting & GEA Expo:

FYI, Geothermal Industry: You’re Doing It Wrong (Renewable Energy World)

As the geothermal industry limps along year after year, a utility insider strongly suggests that it changes its tactics.

For years the geothermal industry has relentlessly boasted that it is a baseload resource, meaning it provides stable power similar to a coal or natural gas plant, except without all of those pesky carbon emissions. While upfront costs to develop a plant are higher than other renewable sources, geothermal leaders say that this baseload aspect makes it a more attractive resource in the long run since the grid needs more stable power as increasing amounts of intermittent renewables enter the landscape.

Though this may sound like bankable reasoning, Dave Olsen of the California Independent System Operator Corporation (CAISO) said geothermal needs to change its strategy to make any sort of progress in the energy market. During the opening session of the 2014 Geothermal Resources Council (GRC) Annual Meeting in Portland, Oregon, Olsen warned the crowded room that they might not like what he had to say.

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GRC Annual Meeting:

Photos from the Opening Session of the GRC Annual Meeting

Alex Sifford, GRC Annual Meeting chair addresses the audience at the Oregon Convention Center

More photos from the Opening Session of the GRC Annual Meeting

GRC Annual Meeting:

First Lady of Oregon Speaks at GRC Annual Meeting

Cylvia Hayes, First Lady of Oregon, spoke at the Opening Session of the GRC Annual Meeting in Portland, Oregon yesterday, September 29.

GRC Annual Meeting and GEA Expo:

Photos from The GRC Annual Banquet at the GRC Annual Meeting

More photos on the GRC Flicker Website......

GRC Annual Meeting & GEA Geothermal Energy Expo:

Geothermal Energy Event of the Year Goes to Portland

Keeping it weird!

Breakfast for the GRC staff at the GRC Annual Meeting thanks to Voodoo Doughnuts!

GRC Annual Meeting & GEA Geothermal Energy Expo:

GRC Annual Meeting  & GEA Geothermal Energy Expo

Activities for Tuesday September 30

• 6:30a – 5:00p GRC Annual Meeting Registration Desk Pre-function C
• 6:30a – 4:00p GRC Speaker Ready Room A104
• 6:30a – 8:00a GRC Speaker Breakfast A105
• 7:30a – 5:00p GEA Exhibitor Registration Desk Pre-function C
• 8:00a – 5:00p GRC Office C126
• 8:00a – 4:00p GRC Technical Sessions B110-119 + C123
• 9:00a – 6:00p GRC Poster Session Exhibit Hall C
• 9:00a – 6:00p GEA Expo Open Exhibit Hall C
• 9:40a – 10:10a  Morning Coffee Break  Exhibit Hall C
• 12:00n – 1:30p GRC Student Leadership Luncheon Oregon Ballroom 204
• 2:30p – 2:50p Afternoon Coffee Break Exhibit Hall C
• 4:00p – 6:00p GRC Poster Session Reception/GEA Expo Networking Reception Exhibit Hall C
• 5:00p – 7:00p Women in Geothermal (WinG) Reception Urban Farmer

More Information.......

GRC Annual Meeting & GEA Expo:

GTO Director Doug Hollett Delivers Keynote at the Nation's Largest Industry Gathering, September 29, 2015

The Energy Department's Geothermal Technologies Office participated in the industry's largest geothermal gathering today in Portland, Oregon, with a keynote address by Director Doug Hollett at the Opening Session of the GRC Annual Meeting. 

Key initiatives of the Department's efforts to face down technical and market challenges were discussed. 

Doug Holletts Presentation

GRC Annual Meeting and GEA Expo:

Photos from the Opening Reception at the GRC Annual Meeting & GEA Expo

More photos on the GRC Flicker Website......

GRC Annual Meeting and GEA Expo:

Geothermal Young Professionals Networking Dinner at GRC Annual Meeting (Think GeoEnergy)

Kells Irish Restaurant and Pub

On Monday September 29th following the first official day of the GRC Annual Meeting and GEA Expo in Portland, Oregon, the Geothermal Young Professionals Dinner will be held at Kells Irish Restaurant and Pub in downtown Portland, Oregon at 6:30pm.

This will be the fourth such event. The first, held in the fall off 2011 at Maria Maria, Carlos Santana’s restaurant in San Diego, was a rousing success. Subsequent events were held in Reno, Nevada in 2012 and Las Vegas, Nevada in 2013. The event is an unofficial networking dinner.

There are no sponsors. There are no fees to attend. Individuals are asked to purchase their own dinner and drinks.

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Japan, Ethiopia:

Toshiba Concludes a Memorandum of Understanding with Ethiopian Electric Power on Geothermal Power Generation (BusinessWire)

Toshiba Corporation today announced that the company has concluded a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Ethiopian Electric Power on a comprehensive partnership in geothermal power that will see the parties collaborate in power generation projects and personnel development.

Ethiopian Electric Power (EEP), a publicly owned utility, engages in the development of geothermal resources and the construction of power plants. Through the partnership with EEP, Toshiba will draw on its long-standing experience and expertise in geothermal systems to contribute to projects in Ethiopia. More specifically, the company will develop and manufacture major equipment, create operation and management guidelines, cooperate in personnel development, and start a waste heat utilization business.

Ethiopia is geothermal rich, with resources estimated at equivalent to 6,000 megawatts. However, this potential has yet to be explored and developed, and over 90 percent of the country’s electricity is from hydropower sources. Looking to the future, Ethiopia plans to increase its current installed generating capacity of 2,268 megawatts to 37,000 megawatts by 2037, and the development of geothermal power will play a significant role in reaching that target.

Toshiba International Corporation - Power Systems is at both numbers 741 and 739 at the GEA Expo, being held in conjunction with the GRC Annual Meeting at the Oregon Convention Center, Portland, Oregon, September 28 - October 1.

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GRC Annual Meeting & GEA Geothermal Energy Expo:

GEA Geothermal Energy Expo: Open to the Public

On Wednesday morning, October 1 from 9am-noon, the GEA Geothermal Energy Expo, being held in Hall C of the Oregon Convention Center, will be free and open to Portland area public. If you are a local business owner, university student, teacher, or government official, you are welcome to walk the 120+ booths of the world's largest annual geothermal gathering free of charge.

GEA's most recent Annual Production Update shows Oregon has 17 geothermal projects currently in development. The GEA Expo floor features a unique opportunity for leaders in the business to showcase their projects, equipment, services and state of the art technology to the geothermal community. This is the premier gathering to learn about the latest developments in geothermal energy. The Expo, held in tandem with the GRC Annual Meeting is being held from Sept. 28 to Oct. 1.

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