Archive for May, 2010
Colorado Dreamin: BLM considers more GT leases, but the land grab has peaked
In Colorado, the Bureau of Land Management is proposing the lease of two blocks of land near Gunnison for geothermal energy development. Both areas were nominated for lease by a renewable energy company and include nearly 9,000 acres of mostly public land in southeastern Gunnison County near Tomichi Dome and the Waunita Hot Springs. The [...]
Vranjska Banja wells to be examined
In Serbia, Jumko A.D. has signed Reservoir Capital Corp. subsidiary Southern European Exploration D.o.o. (SEE) to evaluate existing geothermal wells operated by Jumko in the company’s Vranjska Banja exploration permit located in the Southern part of the country. Under the terms of the Business and Technical Cooperation Agreement, SEE has an exclusive one-year period to [...]
U.S. trade mission pushes clean energy in Indonesia, ignores GT
On a trade mission to Indonesia, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke encouraged the country to harness solar, wind and sea for energy as he completed a trip to Asia focused on selling clean energy technology. Little mention was made of geothermal. “Indonesia has the potential to be one of the biggest users and producers of [...]
Spallation drilling technique would reduce geothermal costs
In California, an improved drilling method called spallation, which would benefit deep geothermal exploration, is under test. Funded by Google, Potter Drilling of Redwood City is the company taking the lead on the technology, made necessary by the very hard rock often encountered in geothermal prospecting. Jeanne Roberts of EnergyBoom recently wrote a terrific covering [...]
Calpine closes of secured notes offering
In Texas, Calpine Corp. closed on $400.0 million of its 8% senior secured sotes due 2019 in a private placement. The notes are guaranteed by each of the company’s current and future subsidiaries that is a guarantor under its existing credit facility. The net proceeds from the offering were used to repay a portion of [...]
Geothermal power station finished early
In New Zealand, a $70 million geothermal power station built Contact Energy has been finished three weeks ahead of schedule. The 23 MW Tauhara One station also came in under budget. Contact is seeking consents for a 250MW Tauhara Two station through a board of inquiry process and is moving ahead with its consented 220MW [...]
Cooperatives sign to take Tongonan, Palinpinon output
In the Philippines, Energy Development Corp. subsidiary Green Core Geothermal Inc. signed two supply agreements with a pair electric cooperatives that commits a large part of the output from the recently acquired Tongonan and Palinpinon geothermal plants for 10 years. GCGI will supply Aklan Electric Cooperative 18 MW for 2010 and 10 MW per year [...]
USG PPA with Idaho Power gets regulatory green light
In Idaho, the state’s Public Utilities Commission has approved a power purchase agreement between the Idaho Power Company and US Geothermal subsidiary USG Oregon LLC. USG will provide power from the Neal Hot Springs Unit No. 1, which is under development northwest of Vail, Oregon. The project is expected to produce 22 MW that should [...]
Opinion: Japan could be geothermal energy leader
Lester Brown, president of the U.S.-based Earth Policy Institute, says Japan could become the global leader in the geothermal field if the country focused on developing the energy source. “Japan could make geothermal energy the centre of its new energy economy just as the US or China will make wind the centre of theirs. There [...]
Batangas geothermal site surveyed
In the Philippines, Basic Energy Corp. has completed initial geophysical and geological surveys at its geothermal development prospect in Batangas. The company reported in a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange that it had done a magneto-telluric survey at the 8,600 acre site. Basic Energy believes that, based on initial assessments, the site can support [...]
