National Geothermal Summit comes to Reno; tours visit Ormat plant (Reno Gazette Journal :: Aug 16, 2011)

It's a sunny, summer day in August, and several employees inside a control room are clearly feeling the heat in more ways than one.

As workers at Ormat Technologies' Steamboat Geothermal Power Plant Complex in Reno, the control room guys are charged with overseeing an operation that generates 89 megawatts of energy — enough electricity to support the entire residential load of Reno.

The state-of-the-art equipment in the room also allows the employees to monitor other Ormat operations, including a waste heat system that creates energy by harnessing excess heat from a natural gas pipeline that runs from Canada to Chicago. (Read More)

Record increase in gold prices a boon for Nevada (Reno Gazette Journal :: Aug 8, 2011)

Nevada's cash-strapped government stands to gain from the ongoing run-up in gold prices that reached a record $1,713 per ounce on Monday, industry observers believe.

The state's net proceeds of mines and minerals tax, whose formula for gold mines is tied to market value, is split almost evenly between state government and the counties where it's generated. (Read More)

UNR geothermal drilling program adds 3-D imaging (Reno Gazette Journal :: Jul 11, 2011)

A Department of Energy-funded geothermal program at the University of Nevada, Reno, which is designed to enhance exploration methodologies and reduce the risk of drilling nonproductive wells, is entering its second phase.

The project, based in the university's Bureau of Mines and Geology in the College of Science, is developing a catalogue of favorable structure elements for several sites deemed potentially viable for geothermal. These include geothermal system fault patterns and models, along with site-specific targeting based on fault analysis. (Read More)

Groundwork laid for geothermal education (Reno Gazette Journal :: Susan Voyles :: June 21, 2011)

Fifty college students from the United States and 11 countries are attending the first national academy for geothermal energy production at the University of Nevada, Reno -- students who local industry officials hope will remember their mentors when they need to hire an expert or order equipment.

The academy brings together experts from 15 universities, institutes and consulting firms from across the country to share their knowledge of everything from drilling, exploration and preserving the underground resource to power plant design in an eight-week course. (Read More)

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An Emerging Sector in Need of Support Restoring the United States to a position of global leadership in clean energy is a critical national priority, with implications for our economic competitiveness, national security, and environmental legacy. This goal can only be achieved through widespread and large-scale deployment of new and innovative clean energy technologies—an undertaking that will require massive, sustained investment by the private sector.

Yet, to date, the private sector has not invested in clean energy at the scale needed to meet our national goals. Part of this shortfall can be attributed to the recent domestic financial crisis and global economic downturn. But much of it is due to the unique features of large-scale energy projects, which make traditional financing difficult to find—even in flush economic times. (Read More)

Geothermal power booming in Nevada (RenewableEnergyWorld.com :: June 19, 2011)

Washington, D.C. - If Nevada were a country, it would be the 9th largest producer of geothermal power in the world today, but the state is poised to climb even higher in the rankings – and not just for the bragging rights. According to new facts from the Geothermal Energy Association (GEA) compiled in anticipation of their upcoming GEA Geothermal Energy and Utilities, Co-ops and Public Power Workshop in Las Vegas, the growth of the geothermal industry in Nevada could be worth up to $22.5 billion over the next 30 years. (Read More)

Reid: Nevada Will Lead the Way to Compete With China on Clean Energy (US Senator of Nevada - Harry Reid :: May 28, 2011)

Washington, D.C. - Shortly after returning from China, Nevada Senator Reid expressed his confidence in Nevada's leadership in the clean energy sector and the United States' ability to compete with China. During his trip Reid met with several Chinese companies that are weighing serious investment in Nevada's clean energy sector. China already recognizes Nevada's potential and ability to lead in this sector—just last year, Chinese company A-Power agreed to invest in a project that will create jobs in Nevada. “China isn't investing so heavily in clean energy just because it's good for the environment – it's doing so because it's also good for the economy,� said Reid. “As we work to make the United States a global leader in clean energy, Nevada should and will play a major role. Our state has abundant resources of wind, sun and geothermal that make it a natural choice for international investment.� Several news outlets emphasized Nevada's role in increasing the United States' energy independence and security and the need to increase U.S. competitiveness with China. (Read More)