All Entries in the "Policy & Policymakers" Category
Heller adds voice to royalty battle
In Washington DC, Rep. Dean Heller, R-Nev., has asked the U.S. Interior Department not to follow through with its intentions to take back the geothermal royalty money distributed to Nevada counties earlier this year. Royalties have been shared for years, with the federal government originally keeping half the money, with the other half turned over [...]
SCE, PG&E geothermal power purchases approved
In California, the state’s Public Utilities Commission approved geothermal energy contracts for Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E). Edison will procure generation from a new geothermal facility in Imperial County through a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Ram Power, Inc. and Orita Geothermal, LLC. The Orita 1 facility has an [...]
CO streamlines geothermal permitting processes
In Colorado, a bill just signed into law makes it easier for state agencies to cooperate on geothermal studies and projects. The bill also streamlines the process for getting geothermal drilling permits and includes provisions protecting the rights of landowners and those with rights to the water. It also establishes a process for resolving disputes. [...]
Leyte governor backs demand to retain geothermal generation
Whereas in the U.S., states and counties are looking to keep large portions of the revenue from geothermal energy production, in the developing world, it’s the power they want. In the Philippines, Leyte Governor Carlos Jericho Petilla has said that he is in support of the move by electric cooperatives in the region with the [...]
Counties lobbying for another change to GT revenue share
In Nevada, Humboldt County is joining with the National Association of Counties (NACo) in lobbying Congress to more evenly distribute the economic benefit of geothermal leases on public lands. Under the plan, if adopted by Congress, federal, state and local governments would each receive one-third of geothermal lease revenue. The revenue share would extend to [...]
CO geothermal bill clarifies roles and rights
In Colorado, the House gave initial approval to Senate Bill 174, which has already passed the Senate. Under SB 174, the state engineer could deny a geothermal water permit if it would lower the temperature in a spring with an existing right. The bill also allows the owners of geothermal rights to use a surface [...]
Colorado passes strongest renewable portfolio standard
In Colorado, the State Senate passed H.B.1001, increasing the state’s renewable portfolio standard to 30% by 2020, the strongest standard in the U.S. The bill also mandates that 3% of total electricity sales come from distributed generation systems. This is said to allow energy consumers to lower their electricity bills and should help utilities avoid [...]
Iceland balking at using geothermal for debt payback
In England, a treasury spokesman says that said the government of Iceland doesn’t want any connection between the loans made to prop up Icesave bank and its geothermal resources. Gijs Graafland, director of the Amsterdam-based Planck Foundation, proposed the idea that the country pay back the $5.32 billion loan by supplying power to the two [...]
Feed-in tariff for geothermal and other renewable sources proposes in Japan
In Japan, a trade ministry panel has proposed expanding the feed-in tariff to require utilities to buy electricity at a premium from renewable power generators operating geothermal projects, hydropower stations and wind turbines. Utilities would buy the power at between 17 cents and 23 cents for between 10 and 20 years. Japan wants to supply [...]
Dayton looking to geothermal to drive downtown development
In Ohio, the city of Dayton is looking to geothermal as part of a strategy to fuel economic development. The city is looking for proposals to study the feasibility of developing a geothermal district to pump water to downtown buildings. Those with the proper equipment would use the water for heating and cooling. Timothy Downs, [...]
