Regional Operations Research Program For Development Of Geothermal Energy In The Southwest United States PDF Download

This final report describes the findings and conclusions of the New Mexico Team during the first project year of the Southwest Regional Geothermal Development Operations Research Project. The purpose of this project is to help realize a goal of the U.S. Department of Energy, Division of Geothermal Energy (DOE/DGE), "to accelerate the actual commercial utilization of geothermal energy." This was done by: 1) Identifying the potential for development of geothermal energy in the five-state regions of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada and Utah; and, 2) Identifying the actions needed to accomplish that development. Funding was provided to the prime contractor, the New Mexico Energy Institute, by the DOE/DGE, assisted by the Four Corners Regional Commission and the New Mexico Energy and Minerals Department (formerly Energy Resources Board). Each state arranged for a subcontractor. In New Mexico the subcontractor is the New Mexico Energy and Minerals Department, with its staff members comprising the State Team. The team is led by Thomas A. Ortiz, Director of the Energy Resources Development Division in the New Mexico Energy and Minerals Department. Working with Mr. Ortiz are the energy consultants of the division: Dennis Fedor and Gary Carlson and also the staff members of the Mining & Minerals Division/EMD, Kay Hatton and Wes Horner. The latter three have, in part, assisted in different phases of the project. The state team has contacted federal, state and local government entities involved in geothermal energy development including legislative bodies, universities, utilities, both national laboratories of Sandia and LASL, and members of the general public. Geothermal developers and academic researchers in the state were contacted in order to determine the extent of speculative projections and development plans for any of the potential geothermal resource areas. Numerous field trips were made to ascertain the degree of geothermal potential and activity. These included BLM inspection trips to Socorro and Radium Springs and investigations of the San Ysidro, Jemez Springs and Soda Dam thermal areas. This project has stimulated much interest and planning in many sectors of the state. Some state agencies including the Energy and Minerals Department have initiated effort to create legal, institutional and economic inducements in state energy policies and plans in order to stimulate geothermal development. The state team was responsible for drawing up the state policies for geothermal energy in the State Energy Plan. A number of recommendations have been made in the State Energy Plan which include income tax credit for geothermal systems (outfitting and retrofitting) and a public awareness outreach program. Other accomplishments were: state position paper for the National Governor's Energy Production Conference held in February; reviewed and responded to the Bureau of Land Management's environmental assessment report on geothermal leasing in the Silver City area; reviewed and responded to BLM's inquiry for an EAR in the Ojo Caliente area. The state team and EMD has given support to PNM/Union Oil proposal for DOE funding through the geothermal demonstration plant program. It also is supporting the geothermal depletion allowance in the National Energy Plan. The state team has participated in promoting interest in and reviewing the state research and development geothermal programs. The number of these programs have increased noticeably during the past six months.