USA, Illinois:

Army Awards Additional $7 Billion MATOC Geothermal Energy Contract (Press Release)

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers yesterday awarded New Generation Power Inc. of Chicago, Ill., a geothermal technology company, a Multiple Award Task Order Contract (MATOC) for renewable and alternative energy production for Department of Defense (DOD) installations.

This contract award adds New Generation Power Inc., a small business, to the pool of five other qualified contractors who will be eligible to bid on future individual geothermal technology project task orders. The second round of MATOC awards is in keeping with the original September 2012 Request For Proposal (RFP) which allowed for immediate awards to firms within the competitive range and additional awards to firms that qualified after further evaluation by the government. This completes the geothermal MATOC awards for now, although the government may choose to allow additional firms to qualify in the future.

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Technology:

Ten Myths About Geothermal Heating and Cooling Busted (National Geographic)

Illustration of a geothermal heating and cooling system that handles multiple loads for a home. Illustration from Modern Geothermal HVAC.

Imagine a home in which the temperature is always comfortable, yet the heating and cooling system is out of sight. That system performs efficiently but doesn’t require extensive maintenance or knowledge on the part of the owners.

The air smells fresh; you can hear the birds chirping and the wind rustling lazily through the trees. The home shares energy with the earth similar to the way the roots of the trees exchange the essentials of life to their leaves and branches. Sounds comfortable, doesn't it?

Geothermal heating and cooling makes that vision a reality. Geothermal HVAC (heating, ventilating, and air conditioning) brings a building in harmony with the earth beneath, taking advantage of subterranean temperatures to provide heating in the winter and cooling in the summer.

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Australia:

Geodynamics Takeover Offer for KUTh Energy Ltd (Proactive Investors Australia)

Geodynamics Limited, based in Milton, Queensland, and KUTh Energy Limited of Sydney, New South Wales, have entered into a binding Takeover Bid Implementation Agreement (TBIA) under which Geodynamics will make an off-market takeover bid (Offer) to acquire all of the issued ordinary shares in KUTh.

The deal would deliver Geodynamics a portfolio of geothermal energy projects and prospects held by KUTh Energy in the Pacific Islands.

This market is also a key focus of Geodynamics where it is actively pursuing the Savo Island Geothermal Power Project located in Solomon Islands.

The offer is one Geodynamics Share for every 5.5 KUTh Shares (subject to rounding), representing a 31.6% premium based on the 30-day VWAPs (volume weighted average prices) of Geodynamics and KUTh shares as at 17 September 2013.

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Guatemala:

El Ceibillo Project Receives License to Construct and Operate 25 MWe Project (Press Release)

Initial vertical discharge of Well EC-1 at El Ceibillo
on June 16th (Courtesy U.S. Geothermal)

U.S. Geothermal announced today that the Guatemalan Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources (MARN) has issued an Environmental License for the construction and operation of the planned, first phase, 25 MWe power plant at the El Ceibillo site.

The El Ceibillo development project is an advanced stage, steam geothermal prospect within a 24,710 acre (100sq km) energy rights concession located 8.5 miles (14 km) from Guatemala City, the largest city in Central America.

Temperatures in excess of 500° F (275° C) have been encountered during recent drilling at this project.

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USA, California:

CalEnergy Executes a Long-Term 50 MWe PPA in the Imperial Valley (Stockhouse - Press Release)

The Salton Sea in the Imperial Valley, CA

TransAlta Corporation has announced that CalEnergy, LLC, a joint venture it has with MidAmerican Energy Holdings Company in the Imperial Valley, Southern California, has executed a 50 MW long-term Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) for renewable geothermal power with Salt River Project (SRP), an Arizona utility.

Highlights include:

• Duration of PPA is 24 years, or 2016 to 2039;
• SRP contract reflects 15% of the capacity of CalEnergy's geothermal facilities, bringing the total contracted capacity to 40%; and
• CalEnergy continues its work to market the remainder of the capacity from the 10 geothermal facilities, as the existing contracts roll off.

In May, 2013, MidAmerican Energy Holdings Company and TransAlta Corporation announced today the formation of CalEnergy, LLC, a new special purpose entity that will allow CalEnergy to market reliable green power in a new way.

The 340 MWe contract capacity available for this remarketing initiative is one of the largest single geothermal remarketing exercises to be pursued in North America, which will extend the operating life of all 10 facilities in the Imperial Valley region of California for another 25 years.

The geothermal facilities around the Salton Sea will be a feature of a GRC Field Trip after the GRC Annual Meeting & GEA Expo in Las Vegas, Sept. 29-Oct. 3.

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GRC Annual Meeting:

Don't Miss Out The Party of The Year! Register For The GRC's Party With The Stars of The Geothermal Industry!

Come and join in on the fun with industry leaders from all over the world. Socialize, mingle, take photos, and walk the red carpet with colleagues and maybe some famous familiar faces. Is that Elvis? 007? You don't know who will show up at this event! Join the fun and come dressed up as your favorite Vegas icon! Don't want to dress up? No problem, business casual works too.

When: Monday, September 30, 2013 at the GRC Annual Meeting
Time: 6:00pm to 8:00pm
Where: MGM Grand, Room 115
Cost: $125 per person or $1,500 for a VIP Table for Eight

Fee includes: Hors d'oeuvres, carvery stations, desserts, cocktails, non-alcoholic beverages, photos at the photo booth, and great entertainment!

 You can purchase your tickets with your Annual Meeting registration form or by contacting Anh Lay at alay@geothermal.org.

USA:

How Western U.S. States Light the Path for Renewables (GreenBiz)

With the country’s strongest geothermal resources in western states, the country’s utility-scale geothermal power projects currently operate in this region exclusively.

As part of its annual review of renewable energy throughout the country, the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) released the first part of its 2013 update, focused on the western region (PDF), on Monday.

The report details how the 13 western states have built up renewables within their borders, what companies and projects they've attracted, and what policies have helped them (or what missing policies are hindering them).The western United States’ remarkable renewable energy resource availability, supportive policies, and well developed supply chains have transformed western states into national leaders in renewable energy development.

In 2012, the region attracted about half of the country’s combined venture capital, private equity and asset finance investment in the renewable energy sector, and produced approximately 31% of its total energy generation from renewable energy sources – compared to roughly 12% nationally.

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Job Vacancy:

Program Director - East Africa Geothermal Development

U.S. Energy Association - Washington D.C. Metro Area

The United States Energy Association (USEA) seeks an experienced Program Director with extensive technical expertise in geothermal energy, international development experience, and knowledge of East Africa to manage a U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded project to advance geothermal energy development in East Africa and expand business opportunities for U.S. geothermal companies. This is a full-time position.

Candidates who meet the position requirements and are available to begin work in October 2013 should email a cover letter and resume to Britt Shaw, Program Coordinator, U.S. Energy Association, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 550, Washington, DC 20004-3022 at bshaw@usea.org no later than October 12, 2012. 

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Australia:

Australian Leisure Center to Benefit from Geothermal Power (Cogeneration & On-Site Power Production)

Freemantle Council in Western Australia has confirmed that a test-bore it has sunk to tap into underground heat is hotter than expected and will be able to sustainably heat waters at the Freemantle Leisure Center for “decades to come” thanks to heat pumps that extract warmth from underground.

The move to tap heat from underground is part of a bid to both reduce both long term energy costs and carbon emissions that are estimated to be around 260 tonnes per year.

Freemantle’s deployment of a cogeneration facility means that underground thermal energy will be used to both heat the pool and generate electricity. According to the council the facility uses a “shallow geothermal” cogeneration unit.

Once the geothermal and cogeneration system is fully operational, heated water from the bore will be pumped through the leisure center’s heat pumps to warm the center’s two larger pools, with the cool water then re-injected back into the aquifer via a separate injection bore.

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Serbia:

Reservoir Renews and Enlarges its Vranjska Banja Geothermal License (Wall Street Journal - Press Release)

Reservoir Capital Corp. reports that the Ministry of Natural Resources, Mining and Spatial Planning, of the Republic of Serbia has renewed the company's Vranjska Banja geothermal exploration license in southern Serbia for an additional 3-year period to August 16, 2016. The license now also covers the geothermal wells VG-2 and VG-3 that were within an exploitation license that expired over the previous period and which has now been incorporated into Reservoir's license area.

Reservoir Capital has measured discharge temperatures of 96 degrees C (boiling at this elevation) and relatively high artesian flows averaging approximately 60 liters per second from VG-2 and VG-3, with temperatures of up to 137 degrees C were reportedly measured at less than one kilometer depth when the wells were drilled.

California-based consultants GeothermEx Inc. (a Schlumberger Company) previously completed an independent review of the historical data, and measurements taken during the company's four season reservoir studies on VG-2 and VG-3, concluding the target could potentially support a power generation project of at least 10 MWe, utilizing a binary-cycle power plant.

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GRC Annual Meeting:

Geothermal Awards Announced as GRC Annual Meeting Opens on Sunday

Best and Brightest of the Global Geothermal Community Honored at the 37th GRC Annual Meeting in Las Vegas

The Geothermal Resources Council (GRC), the world’s premier geothermal association, has announced awards honoring the best and brightest of the global geothermal energy community. These prestigious awards have been a highlight of the geothermal calendar since the late 1970's.

The GRC will present its prestigious Aidlin, Henry J Ramey Jr., Ben Holt, Pioneer, and Special Achievement awards at its Annual Membership Meeting & Awards Luncheon, the climax to the GRC Annual Meeting, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Wednesday, October 2.

"The recipients of these awards often have a lifetime of achievement in the geothermal academic, scientific and commercial communities", said GRC Executive Director Steve Ponder. "The GRC Awards recognizes the contributions of these individuals to the geothermal sector".

The award winners are:

Joseph W. Aidlin Award
Lucien Y. Bronicki
For lifetime achievement in the advancement of geothermal energy worldwide and for steadfast support of the Geothermal Resource Council.

Geothermal Pioneer Award
Gustavo Cuéllar
For pioneering and continuous contributions to the development of Central America's geothermal resources.

Henry J Ramey Jr. Award
Subir K. Sanyal
For lifetime achievements in geothermal reservoir engineering worldwide.

Ben Holt Award
Kenneth A. Phair
For significant contribution to engineering works on geothermal power plant design.

Geothermal Special Achievement Award
Ingvar Birgir Fridleifsson
For effective and steadfast efforts to educate, train and mentor new generations of geothermal experts.

Geothermal Special Achievement Award
Doone Wyborn
For outstanding contributions to the understanding and development of Engineered Geothermal Systems.

Geothermal Special Achievement Award
Connie and Bernie Karl
For acknowledgement of accomplishments at Chena Hot Springs and of steadfast support advancing interest in and development of geothermal resources.

Geothermal Special Achievement Award
William Cumming
For outstanding contributions in improving the use of geophysical methods and conceptual models in the evaluation and development of geothermal resources.

For more information about the GRC Annual Meeting & GEA Geothermal Energy Expo at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA,  visit www.geothermal.org/meet-new.html or call (530) 758-2360.

GRC Annual Meeting & GEA Geothermal Energy Expo:

Register Online for the GRC Annual Meeting & GEA Geothermal Energy Expo and Save! (Renewable Energy World)

Onsite registration will charge an additional $50 late fee

Registering online for the international geothermal event of the year will save attendees $50. Registering in person in Las Vegas will require an additional late fee. The GRC Annual Meeting & GEA Geothermal Energy Expo will bring together geothermal companies, academics, financiers, policy leaders, students, and other individuals to attend or exhibit at the event, to be held from September 29 to October 2 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

GRC members pay $795 and non-members $895 for a three day pass. The non-member registration includes GRC membership through 2014. Students with a current identification card from an accredited institution pay just $5 which includes GRC membership through 2014. Registration to the GRC Annual Meeting also includes entry to the GEA Energy Expo.

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Kenya:

Centum Targets Geothermal Stake with Offshore Arm (Business Daily Africa)

Centum, a Kenya-based investment company, has created an investment vehicle to spearhead its venture into the local and regional power sector, especially geothermal energy, as the firm diversifies its business.

The company has incorporated Mvuke Power Ltd, a subsidiary registered in Mauritius, that will hold its investments in power generation and distribution.

“The power sector is profitable and important for us,” said Chris Kirubi, a director of Centum.

“We are eyeing the local geothermal projects in the short term but are also open to invest in other power ventures across the region.”

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Netherlands:

Dutch Firm Secures Two Geothermal Licenses (ThinkGeoEnergy)

Dutch firm Transmark Renewables has secured two deep geothermal licenses in in Friesland and Noord-Brabant/Utrecht, allowing the company to explore and maybe start drilling within 3 to 4 years.

Transmark Renewables aims to develop a geothermal project focusing on generating electricity with surplus heat being applied for direct usage. In order to generate electrical energy, the reservoir needs to be at  a temperature of at least 140 degrees C, with a temperature gradients of approx. 31 – 36 C/Km and the targeted depths to be between 4,000 and 6,000 meters.

Due to the lack of available information at these depths, Transmark Renewables will initially focus on a thorough surface exploration before entering into a drilling campaign.

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USA, Hawai'i:

Contract Award Expected Soon for 50 MWe Geothermal Project on Hawaii’s Big Island (Pacific Business News)

A contract to develop a 50 MWe geothermal project on the Big Island, which some say could cost up to $200 million, is expected to be awarded soon by Hawaii Electric Light Co., Pacific Business News has learned.

At least six companies are said to be in the running to develop the project, including Huena Power, formed by Innovations Development Group, a Native Hawaiian renewable-energy development firm founded in 1998 by Roberta Cabral.

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USA, Washington:

Selah Could be Site for Geothermal Compressed Air Energy Storage Project (Yakima Herald-Republic)

The Yakima minerals site in the Yakima Canyon
near Roza Dam may become home to a geothermal
power plant and underground energy storage.
(Courtesy Andy Sawyer/Yakima Herald-Republic)

A rock formation thousands of feet below the Yakima River Canyon could hold a key to solving the problem of matching energy production to demand in the pacific north-west.

The Yakima Minerals Site research team from the Bonneville Power Administration and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory devised a kind of compressed air energy storage facility that uses geothermal energy. This hybrid facility would extract geothermal heat from deep underground to power a chiller that would cool the facility’s air compressors, making them more efficient. Geothermal energy would also re-heat the air as it returns to the surface.

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Philippines:

Cleanergy Educational Center Opens at MakBan Geothermal Plant (Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Aboitiz Foundation already allocates about half of its annual budget for projects that enhance the public education system, and individual companies under the Aboitiz group have their own programs which have education as the primary thrust.

AP Renewables Inc. (APRI), for one, has opened to the public late last month its P50-million Cleanergy Center—an educational facility located within the MakBan geothermal power plant compound in Barangay Bitin, Bay, Laguna.

Erramon I. Aboitiz, president and CEO of APRI’s parent firm Aboitiz Power Corp. (APC), said during the inauguration ceremony in Laguna, that the educational facility is expected to increase Filipinos’ awareness on the importance of renewable energy, especially geothermal energy, and encourage them to adopt a more sustainable lifestyle.

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Philippines:

Aboitiz Expects to Drill More Tiwi Wells (Manila Standard Today)

Aboitiz Power Corp. is confident of reaching an agreement with Chevron-led Philippine Geothermal Production Company Inc. within the year to drill additional wells to increase the steam supply of the Tiwi-Makban geothermal facilities in Albay and Laguna, a company official said over the weekend.

“We’re working on it. We’re hopeful that we can resolve something by the end of the year,” Michael Pierce, Aboitiz Renewables  Inc. president and chief operating officer, told reporters.

Aboitiz Power operates the Tiwi-Makban power plant complex, while Philippine Geothermal, a joint venture between Chevron Geothermal Inc. and SM Investments Corp., runs the steam fields.

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California:

California Bill Would Raise Profile of Geothermal Energy

Legislature going through the California bill process could have far-reaching consequences for the geothermal energy industry in the golden state, if passed.

California Senate Bill SB 760, California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program, introduced by Senator Wright and coauthored by Assembly Member V. Manuel Pérez, would ask utilities to be more aware of the advantages of using geothermal energy as a dependable base-load renewable energy.

The relevant language is as follows:

This bill would additionally require that the process providing criteria for the rank ordering and selecting of least-cost and best-fit eligible renewable energy resources to comply with the program obligations include procurement of specific types of eligible renewable energy resources necessary to maintain the reliability of the electrical grid to meet electrical demand on a 24-hour basis, basis and consider the attributes of utilizing geothermal and other renewable energy resources, as specified.

Consideration of the attributes of utilizing geothermal and other renewable energy resources, including their system inertia, small footprint in terms of surface land requirements, habitat and other environmental impacts, their ability to provide local reliability and baseload generation.

On August 30 the bill was given a third reading and then amended in the assembly on September 5.

Canada:

Canadian Geothermal Energy Association Turns to Crowdfunding (Hydrogen Fuel News)

Canada has become a relatively strong advocate for renewable energy in recent years, but the country is the only one along the Pacific Ring of Fire, a notoriously geologically active region of the world, that does not have a single operational geothermal energy facility within its borders. The Canadian Geothermal Energy Association has members that account for approximately 20% of the world’s combined geothermal energy systems but its home country does not have any domestic geothermal power plants. It may be looking to resolve this issue by tapping into the crowd.

Crowdfunding has become a very popular tactic in the game industry, especially among independent developers that have ambitious ideas. The concept is relatively straightforward: Companies or individuals seek funding from the general public in order to bring their concepts to life. Crowdfunding is relatively foreign to the renewable energy sector, but the concept has proven quite attractive for groups looking to build clean power systems when government support is sparse.

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GRC Annual Meeting and GEA Geothermal Energy Expo:

Download the Final Program (PDF) for the geothermal energy event of the year.

GRC Annual Meeting & GEA Energy Expo - Final Program from Geothermal Resources Council

Chile:

Tatio Geysers: A High-Altitude Geothermal Adventure (GoBackpacking)

Featuring over 80 geysers, El Tatio Geyser field in northern Chile is the third largest in the world after Yellowstone and Dolina Giezerov in Russia.

At an altitude of 4,300 meters (14,100 feet), it is also one of the highest geyser fields in the world.

(Courtesy GoBackpacking)

Tanzania:

Tanzania Poised to Transform National Energy Sector with Influx of Renewables (African Development Bank)

The geothermal development component will catalyze development of more than 100 MW of geothermal power.

(Courtesy CIA.gov)

On September 12, the Republic of Tanzania received endorsement from the Climate Investment Funds (CIF) of an investment plan which will help the country to scale-up the development of its abundant renewable energy resources.

The plan will be funded by US $50 million from the CIF’s Scaling-Up Renewable Energy Program in Low-Income Countries (SREP) and the balance from the African Development Bank (AfDB), World Bank, Government, private sector, commercial sources and other development partners. It features a geothermal development component and a renewable energy for rural electrification component.

The geothermal development component, which is expected to receive US $25 million from SREP and US $45 million support from the AfDB, will catalyze development of more than 100 MW of geothermal power, principally by the private sector, and will establish an enabling environment for large-scale geothermal development.

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Technology:

Simulation Capability Illuminates Geothermal Energy Potential (Phys.Org)

This image is from a simulation showing how
FALCON can reproduce observed behavior.

Researchers in four countries are using an Idaho National Laboratory modeling program to simulate the subsurface physics important for geothermal energy extraction.

The Fracturing And Liquid CONvection (FALCON) code enables simulation that is faster, simpler and more comprehensive than previous options.

A U.S. Department of Energy Geothermal Technologies Office award through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 is yielding results that will advance deployment of geothermal resources by reducing risk and costs of renewable energy development. It is helping researchers evaluate geothermal energy site data, and it may soon be able to offer predictions that could help improve geothermal energy output.

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USA, Nevada:

Paul Thomsen Named Nevada Energy Director (MSN Money)

Paul Thomsen at last year's GRC
Annual Meeting Opening Session

Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval has tapped Ormat Technologies executive Paul Thomsen to serve as director of the Nevada Office of Energy.

GRC member Thomsen has served as director of the geothermal company since 2005. Before that he worked for Nevada U.S. Sen. Harry Reid and former Sen. Richard Bryan. He's also president of the U.S. Geothermal Energy Association.

Sandoval says Thomsen has extensive experience in federal, state and local legislative and regulatory issues involving the energy industry.

Thomsen replaces Stacey Crowley, who resigned in July. He will assume his new position Oct. 14.

USA, California:

California Energy Bill Passes, Awaits Governor's Signature (Renewable Energy World)

Lawmakers in the California state legislature granted their final approval to a package of energy legislation. The bill, AB 327, will now head to Gov. Jerry Brown's desk. It passed the state Senate September 9 with a vote of 33-5 after passing the Assembly in May by wide margins.

The bill's centerpiece would essentially remove the "cap" from California's renewable energy portfolio standard (RPS), which is already one of the most aggressive in the nation.

California state law requires power companies to generate 33 percent of their electricity from renewable sources. AB 327, once signed into law, will empower the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to raise that percentage without the need for legislative action.

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East Africa:

The Geothermal Risk Mitigation Facility – Announcement of Pre-application Information Workshop for the Second Application Round

The pre-application information workshop will be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 21st October 2013 at the African Union compound.

The Geothermal Risk Mitigation Facility (GRMF) would kindly invite interested project developers and project financiers to a pre-application information workshop considering financial support for geothermal projects in Eastern Africa.

GRMF was established by the African Union Commission (AUC), on the one side, and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and development (BMZ) and the EU-Africa Infrastructure Trust Fund via KfW Entwicklungsbank (KfW), on the other side, to help catalyze geothermal developments in Eastern Africa.

Based on the great interest in the first application round, the GRMF programme, which originally targeted 5 countries, has now been extended to 11 countries.

The information workshop will introduce the GRMF programme to potential applicants and will provide a comprehensive overview of the whole application procedure. The Request for Expression of Interest (EoI) and the related submission form for EoI will be explained in detail. It is strongly recommended that potential applicants participate in the information workshop to ensure a mutual understanding of the requirements for Application and thus a high quality of submitted EoI and Applications.

The pre-application information workshop will be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 21st October 2013 at the African Union compound.

For detailed information and registration for the information workshop please visit the GRMF website.

USA:

Report: Thirsty U.S. Energy Production On "Collision Course" With Climate-Imperiled Water Supply

Coal-Fired Power, Nuclear, Natural Gas from Fracking Singled Out As Increasingly Untenable in Portions of U.S. Already Struggling With Shrinking Water Supplies; U.S. Needs to Start Planning to Take Into Account Energy Water Use ... Not Just Energy Production.

Industry critics of solar and wind power are quick to assert that there will be problems for renewable energy when the sun doesn't shine and the wind doesn't blow. But a new Civil Society Institute (CSI) report (PDF) prepared by Synapse Energy Economics suggests that dirty energy sources - including coal-fired electric power, nuclear power, and natural gas from fracking - face an even bigger challenge: What are you going to do if the water doesn't flow?

Read More......

Global:

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Iceland:

New EIA for Geothermal Plant in NE Iceland Not Needed (Iceland Review)

Engineering firm Elfa concluded in a new report presented yesterday that a new overall Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for a proposed 45-90 MW geothermal power plant at Bjarnarflag near Lake Mývatn in Northeast Iceland is unnecessary.

The evaluation, carried out on behalf of Landsvirkjun national power company, stated that fundamental changes have not occurred to the basic condition or legal framework since the last EIA for Bjarnarflag was made ten years ago.

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Australia:

AGEC 2013 to Celebrate Geothermal Industry Successes Down Under (EcoGeneration)

The 6th Australian Geothermal Energy Conference will be held in Brisbane from 14–15 November 2013, at the University of Queensland’s Saint Lucia Campus.

2013 marks an important year in the development of geothermal energy in Australia.

Significant progress has been achieved in a number of collaborative geothermal research projects, including at Australia's Information and Communications Technology Research Centre of Excellence (NICTA), the Queensland Centre of Excellence for Geothermal Energy and at the South Australian Centre for Geothermal Energy Research, in collaboration with CSIRO.

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USA, Nevada:

Nevada Geothermal Lease for Sale (ThinkGeoEnergy)

ThinkGeoEnergy reports that a 640 acre geothermal lease in Nevada is being sold by Wilco Energy, LLC which is now up for sale.

Trabits Group, a privately held company headquartered in Alaska that specializes in technology and resource development acquired a majority interest in Wilco Energy, LLC in February, 2013.

Wilco Energy holds a non-federal 1,240 acre geothermal lease in the heart of the Colado Known Geothermal Resource Area, located in Pershing County 7 miles northeast of Lovelock, Nevada with access from off of Interstate Highway 80.

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USA: Hawai`i :

Governor Pushes Ahead on Undersea Cable (KPUA)

Hawai`i Governor Neil Abercrombie is reiterating his administrations pledge to connect the states electrical grids with an undersea transmission cable.

Abercrombie told the Asia Pacific Clean Energy Conference in Honolulu that its time to take full advantage and press forward relentlessly on Hawai`is diverse resources such as geothermal, solar, wind, hydro, bioenergy and biomass.

He said connecting the islands would allow them to share their renewable energy resources and ultimately bring down the cost of electricity.

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Japan:

Marubeni Begins Geothermal Survey in Japanese National Park (Bloomberg)

Marubeni Corp. has begun a geothermal survey of Daisetsuzan National Park on the northern island of Hokkaido that will continue through February in the hopes that it will discover more clean-energy sources.

The Tokyo-based trading company will study the geology of the area with more tests to follow once officials find enough evidence of geothermal resources, Marubeni said today in a statement.

Last year, Japan revised rules for geothermal power projects in national parks where more than 80 percent of the country’s resources are to try to increase energy supplies.

Global:

Vote for Geothermal Project of the Year (PennNet)

The editors of Power Engineering and Renewable Energy World magazines and their respective websites have announced 17 finalists for the annual Projects of the Year Awards program.

The Best Geothermal Project finalists are the Ngatamariki Geothermal Power Plant in Taupo, New Zealand, and the McGinness Hills Geothermal Power Plant in Lander County, Nev., both owned by Ormat Technologies Inc.

Voting has commenced for the final category: Readers’ Choice. Readers can cast their vote for their favorite project, selecting among the entire group of Project of the Year finalists. The voting page is here. Voting is open until October 1, 2013.

The winners of the Projects of the Year Awards will be announced on Monday, November 11, at the POWER-GEN International Conference and Exhibition and the co-located NUCLEAR POWER International Conference and Exhibition, Renewable Energy World Conference & Exhibition North America and the Financial Forum.

Iceland, Ethiopia:

ICEIDA and Nordic Development Fund (NDF) Start Geothermal Cooperation with Ethiopia (Icelandic International Development Agency)

As a part of the ICEIDA/NDF Geothermal Exploration Project, the Icelandic International Development Agency (ICEIDA) has signed a Partnership Agreement with the Government of Ethiopia for geothermal surface exploration and capacity building for geothermal development.

The implementing agencies in Ethiopia are the Geological Survey of Ethiopia (GSE) and the and Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation (EEPCO). The cooperation with Ethiopia is initiated under the Iceland – World Bank compact on geothermal energy. The project in Ethiopia is the second project to be initiated under the ICEIDA/NDF Geothermal Exploration Project, with the first one already under way in Rwanda.

Ethiopia is considered to have great geothermal potential, up to 5,000 MW.

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Technology:

Geothermal Chilling Extends Crop’s Life (Waynesville Smoky Mountain News)

Mountain Research Station
(Courtesy NCDA&CS Research Stations Division)

Haywood Community College (HCC) in Clyde, North Carolina will soon build an experimental geothermal pre-cooling facility to extend the shelf life of produce and crops in the western part of the state.

The project, called Geothermal Chilling for WNC Farmers, will be completed with a $50,000 grant from the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

The installation will be placed at the government’s Mountain Research Station in Haywood County. Its task will be to increase the short shelf life of perishable crops by cooling them as soon as they are harvested.

To do that it will make use of geothermal chilling — a durable, low maintenance, economical and environmentally friendly technology. The technology will be on display for local farmers and offer options for use at their own locations. HCC is also offering a course on the new installation, Basics of Geothermal Technology, from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays, from Oct. 8 through Oct. 22. The cost of the class is $70.

Philippines:

Bacman I Shuts Down for Maintenance (BusinessWorld Online Edition)

Bacon-Manito Geothermal Power Plant (Courtesy EDC)

Energy Development Corp. (EDC) is scheduled to shut down today the first 55-MWe unit of its Bacon-Manito (Bacman) geothermal power plant in Bicol for inspection and maintenance, the Lopez-led firm said in a disclosure yesterday.

The firm said “Bacman Unit 1 will be on planned shutdown starting… September 12… for about 12 days for an inspection of the steam and turbine and other opportunity works.”

“The inspection to be conducted is further to disclosures made last April 8... at the time of the Bacman Unit 1’s recommissioning. Based on the findings of such inspection, EDC management will decide whether or not further restrictions to the future operation of Unit 1 are necessary.”

The Bacman power facility - which straddles Bacon, Sorsogon and Manito, Albay - consists of two 55 MWe plants and a third 20 MWe unit.

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Philippines:

Exploratory Drilling Starts at Biliran Geothermal Field (BusinessWorld Online Edition)

Biliran Geothermal, Inc. (BGI) is set to proceed with the drilling of an exploratory well at a geothermal field on Biliran Island to assess if the area can support commercial operations, an Energy department official said yesterday.

“The company’s drilling activity will push through this month. They are just waiting for the drilling rig and they will proceed once it arrives,” Mario C. Marasigan, the department’s director for Renewable Energy Management Bureau, said in a phone interview when asked on updates on the geothermal project.

Mr. Marasigan said BGI will drill the first exploratory well to validate resource availability. “If they confirm the resource based on the prognosis, then they will start the development phase of the geothermal field.”

Mr. Marasigan said that drilling of an exploratory well usually takes “around 30 days” and assessment will take about three months. After six months, BGI can decide if it will develop the area’s resource.

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Denmark:

Danes Drill Deep for Geothermal Energy (Science Nordic)

(Courtesy CIA.gov)

It’s hot and wet down in the depths. This, put simply, is why Danes have set drill heads rotating deep into the sand and sandstone below them for energy.

Søren Berg Lorenzen of Danish Geothermal District Heating was a speaker at the recent GeoEnergi 2013 conference in Bergen.

He talked about some of the projects that make Denmark the Scandinavian leader in geothermal energy. One reason for their dominance is the country has made a political decision to rely on this clean resource.

Although Denmark does not have volcanic activity or hot springs, it does have certain geological advantages.

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USA, Hawai'i, Opinion:

The Big Island Is Throwing Away Geothermal Electricity (Huffington Post)

Here on the Big Island, we throw away at least seven MW of electricity per day. It's geothermal energy tapped at night, when people are sleeping and so the utility requires less electricity.

That's enough to power 4,550 homes or more.

Hawaii Electric Light Company (HELCO) doesn't say that the 7 MW of electricity is "thrown away." They call it "curtailed" -- but "curtailed" means it goes unused. It's wasted. Thrown away.

I am a founding member of the Big Island Community Coalition, a group dedicated to making Big Island electricity rates the lowest in the state. We want to find a way to utilize this "thrown away" resource that is already being tapped, and which could be used to greatly benefit the people of the Big Island.

What if we could "wheel" this geothermal energy out of Puna and use it strategically?

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Chile:

Chile Tests Geothermal Greenhouse (Fresh Fruit Portal)

(Courtesy Fresh Fruit Portal)

Chile’s Agrarian Innovation Foundation (FIA) is piloting what it describes as the first horticultural greenhouse run on geothermal energy.

The project, launched outside of Santiago in Lampa, seeks to improve yield and decrease low-temperature loses while minimizing energy input and keeping costs low.

To start off, the initiative will work with arugula, watercress and mint to explore the use of geothermal heat pumps to optimize temperature control.

Currently in Chile, this type of energy technology is only used for residential power and in certain industrial contexts, the FIA said.

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Kenya:

Kenya Eyes Lower Electricity Charges with Green Energy (businessdailyafrica.com)

The Kenyan government has turned to green energy sources in the hope of cutting by half electricity costs to light more households and spur industrial growth.

President Uhuru Kenyatta said generation would bank on geothermal, wind, natural gas and other cheaper energy sources to reduce the cost of electricity to Sh9.10 (¢10.45) per kilowatt hour from the current average of Sh17.20 (¢19.78) per unit for domestic households.

Kenya plans to add 5,000 MW to its grid by the end of 2016, with geothermal power accounting for almost a third or 1,646 MW while wind will load 630 MW.

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Australia:

California Engineering Company to Buy Sinclair Knight Merz (ENR.com)

Australian firm Sinclair Knight Merz (SKM), with global capability in strategic consulting, engineering and project delivery including involvement in many geothermal energy projects, is being taken over by Pasadena, California -based Jacobs Engineering Group Inc.

The deal is set to boost Jacobs' role in mining and infrastructure markets in Australia and elsewhere, and would provide SKM with a link to a well-heeled parent in diverse industrial, government and transportation technical services businesses.

The transaction, subject to a shareholder vote by employee-owned SKM and to Australian government approval, is set to close during the first quarter of Jacobs' fiscal 2014, which ends on Dec. 31, 2013.

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GRC Annual Meeting & GEA Energy Expo:

President and CEO of NV Energy to Speak at GRC Annual Meeting

Michael W. Yackira, President and
Chief Executive Officer, NV Energy

Michael W. Yackira, President and Chief Executive Officer, NV Energy, will be a keynote speaker at the Opening Session of the Geothermal Resources Council (GRC) Annual Meeting on September 30.

Michael Yackira joined NV Energy in January 2003. He was elected Chief Executive Officer effective August 1, 2007. In February 2007, he was elected President and Chief Operating Officer and also to the Board of Directors. Prior to that Michael was Corporate Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (December 2003 to February 2007) and Executive Vice President, Strategy and Policy (January 2003 to December 2003).

Yackira spent more than a decade as an executive with FPL Group, serving in several positions, including President of FPL Energy; Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer of FPL Group; and Senior Vice President of Market and Regulatory Services for Florida Power & Light. His experience includes extensive roles in operations, finance and regulatory matters in other industries, including telecommunications, and oil and gas.

The GRC Annual Meeting & GEA Energy Expo will be taking place Sept.29-Oct.2 at the MGM Grand Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.

GRC Annual Meeting & GEA Energy Expo

Upcoming NREL Report Examines The Impact of Permitting Costs on the Levelized Cost of Energy for Geothermal

NREL analysts Paul Schwabe and Jared Wiedmeyer recently authored a technical report, Understanding Permitting Impacts on the Levelized Cost of Energy for Geothermal, which examines how permitting costs and delays impact the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) for geothermal projects.

The authors will be presenting the report at the 2013 Geothermal Resources Council 37th Annual Meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada, which takes place from September 29–October 2, 2013. We will post the day and time of the presentation and a link to the report on FinanceRE as the conference approaches.

USA, Oregon:

Neal Hot Springs Geothermal Plant Has its Grand Opening (Ontario Argus Observer)

Kevin Kitz, vice president of project development for U.S. Geothermal,

 second from left in front, explains the operation of the turbine (center, left)

 and related structures at the Neal Hot Springs geothermal plant 

(Courtesy Larry Meyer | Argus Observer)

U.S. Geothermal Inc. and Enbridge Inc. hosted a grand opening Friday celebrating the operation of their Neal Hot Springs Geothermal Plant, the first commercial geothermal power plant in Oregon.

With an annual average net production of 22 MWe, the project west of Vale and Bully Creek Reservoir produces about 191,000 megawatt-hours annually, enough to supply the energy needs of about 24,000 customers, according to information provided by the two companies. The power is being sold to Idaho Power through a 25-year purchase agreement. About 150 jobs were created at the peak of construction, plus about 500 in the supply chain, and there are 12 full-time employees.

U.S. Geothermal, with offices in Boise, developed the project with Enbridge, a Canadian company, coming on board as an equity partner. The Neal Hot Springs plant began producing power in November 2012.

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India:

Nation's First Geothermal Power Project in Chhattisgarh (Times of India)

Preparations are on to establish nation's first geothermal power project in Tatapani, the newly-formed Balrampur-Ramanujganj district of Chhattisgarh.

Dubbing it as a big achievement for the district, chief minister Raman Singh, on Friday, said that India's first geothermal power project would use underground hot water springs at Tatapani to convert it into steam, and then generate electricity by using special technology.

"Ramanuj-Balrampur district has been formed with the objective to bring people of this bordering area closer to the government and administration, and thereby ensure effective implementation of public welfare schemes," he said.

Chile:

Chile Backs Renewables Auctions (reNews)

Chile has moved a step closer to implementing renewable energy auctions after the country’s Senate approved legislation outlining fundamental market reforms.

The new regulations allow for the Ministry of Energy to hold annual tenders for “blocks” of power to be supplied from “unconventional” renewables such as geothermal, wind, mini-hydro, biomass and solar.

The legislation also sets a new renewable energy target of 20% by 2025, an increase on the previous goal of 10%. Chile’s renewables industry and some senators had been pushing for 20% by 2020.

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Costa Rica:

Geothermal Power: Costa Rica’s Next Clean Energy Solution? (The Costa Rica Star)

Pailas Geothermal Power Plant

Long, fat, round pipes in dark brown and off-white snake along the rust red ground through the underbrush. The pipes belong to the Pailas Geothermal Power Plant at the Rincón de la Vieja Volcano in Costa Rica’s northwestern Guanacaste region. As the world investigates alternative energy solutions that are sustainable and not harmful to the environment, Costa Rica is actively exploring its own clean energy options.

The small Central American nation currently produces more than 90% of its electricity from renewable sources, mostly hydroelectric projects. However, hydroelectric power is weather-dependent, and during the driest months of summer it is stretched to its limits when water reserves are low.

Costa Rica has a plentiful resource however that is largely untapped – volcanic geothermal energy. Geothermal power uses underground steam from volcanoes. The energy is harnessed by drawing hot water and steam from within the Earth’s crust, and then cooling it to move power turbines. An advantage of geothermal power is that it is continuously generated, and not dependent on weather conditions.

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