Jan 26th, 2008, GoSkagit discussed Vulcan’s interest in Mt. Baker . The Article notes that Vulcan is speculating and that no development rights have been issued.
While no plants yet reside on public lands in Oregon or Washington, there are a dozen pending geothermal lease applications on national forest lands within the two states.
….Vulcan’s plant designs call for minimal lighting, along with natural rock, soil and vegetation on the sides and roof of each facility to blend it with the surrounding landscape.
If Vulcan’s Baker Lake lease is approved this year, further drilling and exploratory work could start soon after, with test wells drilled by 2009.
Of course, drilling geothermal test wells carries a lot of risk.
Test wells are needed to determine underground water temperatures and reservoir depths. Wells can range from 1,000 to 10,000 feet deep.
Senator Adam Kline (D, 37th District South Seattle) has introduced a study bill on geothermal. The bill has not received a hearing at this time.
AN ACT Relating to assessing the state’s geothermal resources for electrical power production; and creating new sections.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION.Sec.1) (1) The legislature finds that the Pacific Northwest has unique geological features that include significant geothermal resources, and that other states and provinces in this region are actively exploring and developing these resources for energy production purposes. The legislature further finds that existing data and analyses of these resources is now largely outdated and that advances in technology, increased energy prices, and increased interest in low-carbon energy sources has increased interest by electric utilities and independent power producers in the state’s geothermal resources.
(2) The legislature therefore intends to authorize a comprehensive review of the state’s geothermal resources and make recommendations regarding policy measures to facilitate environmentally responsible development of these resources for electric generation and concentrated heating purposes.
NEW SECTION.Sec.2) (1) The geothermal resource assessment committee is created.
(2) The committee is composed of the following members:
(a) The commissioner of public lands, or the commissioner’s designee;
(b) The energy policy division of the department of community, trade, and economic development;
(c) The chair of the energy facility site evaluation council;
(d) The state geologist within the department of natural resources;
(e) The chair of the utilities and transportation commission;
(f) Representatives of publicly owned and privately owned utilities;
(g) Representatives of independent power producers;
(h) Representatives of geologists from academic, research, and private sectors;
(i) Representatives of other interested sectors, including agriculture, forestry, and environmental;
(j) Representatives of tribal governments with significant geothermal resource interests; and
(k) Representatives of federal agencies with regulatory or land management responsibilities relating to the development of geothermal interests.
(3) The commissioner of public lands, or the commissioner’s designee, shall chair the committee. The commissioner of public lands shall select the committee members described in subsection (2)(f) through (k) of this section.
(4) The department of natural resources shall provide necessary staff and administrative support to the committee.
(5) The committee shall conduct a comprehensive assessment of the geothermal resources in the state and their potential for environmentally responsible development for power production purposes. The assessment must include at least the following:
(a) A characterization of the geothermal resources in the state and the potential for development for electrical generation and concentrated heating purposes based upon currently employed and projected technologies;
(b) The economic implications of this development potential, including community economic development, job creation, and state and local revenue benefits, including an assessment for each county in the state;
(c) A review of current lease payments on federal lands in the state for geothermal leasing, described by county;
(d) A review of state lands with geothermal development potential;
(e) A review of the effect of the state’s water resource laws and policies on the development of geothermal resources; and
(f) Recommendations for legislative and administrative actions based upon this assessment to encourage environmentally responsible geothermal resource development in the state.
(6) The committee shall provide the assessment and recommendations to the energy and fiscal committees of the senate and house of representatives by December 1, 2008.
This blog is part of a short project known as "Geothermal Washington". the goal is to explore and comprehend the potential of geothermal energy in Washington State. This project is supported, in part, by Climate Solutions. The beginning of 2008 has seen a flurry of interest around geothermal in Washington State. The Op/Ed and Brown Bag has initiated the discussion and enquiry into geothermal.
Current media interest is high. McClatchy Newspapers picked up the topic and the article by Les Blumenthal was run in the Tacoma Tribune, Bellingham Herald, and Seattle Times. The Columbian had an editorial that was picked up in the State Editorial coverage by the Seattle Times. Several blogs have picked up on the coverage. It has also been mentioned that the Skagit Paper is writing a story. Real Change’s editor have a story but it has not run. The Daily journal of Commerce has assigned its environmental reporter to cover the topic.
General interest in the blog was initially high following the launch (several hundred) , but has trailed off significantly to barely registering double digits in daily activity.
This project has initiated some interesting thinking on geothermal in Washington State. The rational thinking quickly points to the Cascades and its potential. Interest in Eastern Washington has been higher than expected and given its land status speaks to a long term proposition that ‘farmers’ will track now that they see what wind has been. One Spokane blogger extrapolated the analogy of Nevada as the Saudi Arabia of geothermal to Eastern Washington being the "Kuwait" of geothermal given our respective northern positions. The Rain curtain that masks the hot springs with the constant low cooler flows has led to a lot of nods in comprehension. The transmission value of geothermal on the western Cascades is quickly realized as an important proposition for planning and development in the State.
Senator Adam Kline has expressed interest in running a study bill. The State Geology Survey has offered to act as the report submitting State Agency. The short legislative session offers little promise of success. But the goal here is to begin the conversation on geothermal in Washington State. In this case, a broad list of stakeholders is being welcome to participate in helping the State understand this resource.
Outside of Washington State, geothermal energy moves apace. The GEA announced that the 2,936 MW of installed geothermal capacity in the U.S. is soon to be matched by an additional 3,368 MW under development. The next step of Geothermal Washington is to engage the national and industrial tipping points that will accelerate the development of geothermal.
The South, whose EGS geothermal potential extends to most of the region (except Florida), saw the Blumenthal article picked up in the Charlotte Newspaper. link is here The WSU Energy Blog also picked up the article as did the blog Cascadia Rising The iconic steaming Mt. St. Helens is a great surface indicator of our regions geothermal potential. Just ten to twenty miles away from this volcano and National Park, along the eastern and western ridges of the Cascades lie hundreds of MW of electricity.
This week saw the Seattle Times, the Tacoma Tribune and the Bellingham Herald to run an article by Les Blumenthal about Geothermal along the Cascades. The Columbian even delivered an even handed editorial that was also picked up by the Seattle Times. The Columbian Editorial talks to the challenge around accessing U.S. Forest Service Land, the richest in geothermal potential as well as being codified in federal law as available for possible development.
Could geothermal energy production gain traction in or near Clark County? Chris Strebig, spokesman for Gifford Pinchot National Forest, told us on Tuesday that forest officials are not aware of any lease applications or other interest expressed by geothermal power companies. But the federal Bureau of Land Management last summer announced its increased attention to geothermal leasing throughout the West. And USDA Forest Service Chief Gail Kimbell said the agency will cooperate with the BLM. "Enhancing our nation’s energy needs through safe and clean energy is an important focus of the Department of Agriculture and a proper use of our public lands," Kimbell said.
Geothermal power is considered by most scientists to be relatively safe and clean, and virtually renewable, although some experts say not as renewable as hydropower. California and Nevada produce much of the nation’s geothermal power, but the Northwest, Utah and New Mexico are also believed to have vast resources of untapped heat. Energy independence can and should be pursued in concert with respect for the environment.
Thursday, Jan 24th, 2008 – The Bellingham Herald covers the recent developer interest in the Cascades. Les Blumenthal, long observant in Washington State, covers the points. He mentions Vulcan Power’s speculation (no relation to Vulcan in Seattle) and Raser’s deal with International Paper. The impeding “Rain Curtain” on the Western Cascades is discussed as well.
Near Baker Lake, southeast of Mount Baker, an Oregon company is waiting for leases from the Forest Service and considering a 100-megawatt geothermal plant that could provide enough electricity for 100,000 people. Steven Munson, the chief executive of Vulcan Power Co., said there is more than an 80 percent chance the plant will be built.
On the east slopes of the Cascades in Yakima and Kittitas counties, a Utah firm, Raser Technologies Inc., is focusing on 5,000 acres of International Paper land for possible development.
The “Rain Curtain” masks the indicators
Hot springs and other surface indications of geothermal activity are easier to spot in arid areas. In the Cascades, the “rain curtain” and runoff from melting snow make it harder to pinpoint potential geothermal areas.
“The Cascades have always been an area of interest, but it is so wet the heat flow is masked,” said John Lund, director of the Oregon Institute of Technology’s Geo-Heat Center in Klamath Falls.
In the article there is a diagram of a geothermal power plant.
The NW Energy Coalition Conference Room was overflowing with over 25 attendees for a brown bag on Geothermal Energy in Washington State. Staff from Snohomish PUD, King County, Seattle City Light and the Snohomish Tribal Nation were in the audience. Geothermal Reservoir Engineer Susan Petty covered the technical aspects, economics and environmental impacts of hydrothermal and EGS (Enhanced Geothermal Systems). She then fielded questions about the current industrial practice. The full presentation will be posted later this week.
With a temperature of 105F (41C) this field is a mere 300 feet thick, and covers 165 square miles around Walla Walla. This resource offers a net thermal potential of 57MWth. However the data is largely reliant on shallow boreholes. The Davenport reference below refers to the heat gradient, not the temperature measured. However, high heat gradients are excellent indicators. It is important to note that these wells are shallow, limiting confidence.
In Lincoln County, an area which extends 50 km west from Davenport contains many wells with good quality gradients ranging from 50 to 6OC/km. Most of the wells are less than 750 meters deep, and very little information is available on the temperature and production of the aquifers within the anomaly. The same could he said of the anomaly in Douglas County, where a few wells suggest above normal gradients.
Click on the map above to enlarge. A higher resolution map (3.2 MB PDF) Excellent WA State Map. These maps were issued by the Dept. of Energy’s Idaho lab. The map shows some of the 34 thermal hot springs and the 941 high temperature wells that have been drilled (primarily around the Columbia River Basin). Greater thermal resources are believed to reside along the western flank of the Cascades. However, thermal springs in this area are masked by high levels of rainfall and precipitation. Though issued earlier this decade, primary data is extracted from the 1983 Geologic assessment of geothermal potential.
From the 1982 Assessment by Korosec in support of the State-wide survey. The data is more detailed and contoured than other maps on Eastern Washington. These areas denote thermal gradients from shallow wells.
This data goes on to show specifics for Walla Walla, Simco and Yakima. Data is primarily deep irrigation wells that were assessed for thermal value. The basic logic is that high gradients of 50C/km could lead to high temp sources at a depth of 4km.
Once again, the seminal 1983 Assessment, the Columbia Basin is discussed. It is clear that the data is limited and wells shallow. Geothermal reserves seems more like references to distinct pockets.
Columbia Basin, Yakima Valley, and Walla Walla Valley: From numerous temperature-gradient measurements for wells throughout the Columbia Basin province,several areas have been identified where above average gradients occur, resulting in warm aquifers at relatively shallow depth. The best areas are discussed in chapter 7 of Korosec and others, (1983). They incl ude the Yakima-Ahtanum-Simcoe areas, Moses Lake-Ritzzvi11e-Connell region, portions of Lincoln and Douglas Counties, Horse Heaven Hills , lower Yakima Valley, the Walla Walla Valley, and several other smaller anomalous areas.
The best areas around Yakima include the city proper, Moxee Valley to the east, and the Yakima River Valley to the north and to the south of the city. Many irrigation and and domestic wells produce 69F (21C) to 95F (35C) water from depths generally less than 400 to 500 meters.
However, the quality of these holes is generally poor and the depths shallow. The summary is below.
The United States is frequently embarrassed over its energy policy. The most recent occurrence was in the area of geothermal energy. Last fall, the Senate’s Energy and Natural Resource Committee sat through one of the best presentations on our nation’s geothermal energy potential. It was delivered by the president of Iceland.
He spoke to the expansion of geothermal energy in the western United States. That expansion is coming to Washington state. Our location on the edge of a regional “hot zone,” along with the accelerating interest in all forms of renewable energy, means that developers soon will be knocking at our doors.
Underground windmills, heat mining and enhanced geothermal systems are all names and references for geothermal energy. Instead of digging or drilling for gas or coal to burn and generate steam in order to turn a turbine, you tap the Earth’s natural heat to create energy. It works. And, it works today.
Power engineers consider it a mature technology — a demonstrated one — and most of the technology, though 20 years old, is available today off the shelf. Utilities show keen interest in it because it is steady, not intermittent like wind and solar. However, like those two energy sources, geothermal is renewable. It has high initial costs, roughly two-thirds coming from drilling. But, once built, it has no fuel costs.
The hot zone of California, Nevada (the Saudi Arabia of geothermal), Idaho and Oregon could produce tens of thousands of megawatts along the spine of the Sierra Nevadas and Cascades. Washington state sits on the edge of this hot zone. The 34 thermal hot springs throughout the state are just the surface of our potential.Yet, Washington state has zero megawatts of geothermal. “It also has zero planned, proposed or within the plant approval process, even though we have excellent potential,” laments Susan Petty, one of the world’s leading geothermal reservoir engineers. However, there is now news of International Paper assessing their geothermal potential with a partner.
Petty, who is based in Seattle, points out there is no current hard data on the exact nature of the state’s geothermal resources. But, working off 25-year-old geologic studies, it’s reasonable to say we are among the top 10 states.
Petty also notes Washington state is unprepared to respond or assist if a geothermal development permit were submitted today. This is major oversight that must be addressed.
Gov. Christine Gregoire is committed to renewable energy, but faced strong opposition over the Horizon wind farm outside of Ellensburg because of its size and profile. That would not be an issue with geothermal: It has the smallest surface footprint among renewable forms of energy; less space than the Seattle Center grounds would be needed to produce the energy equivalent of 65 wind turbines along the ridge line in Kittitas County.
Geothermal in Washington state also would generate solid, respected jobs in parts of the state that are seeking to expand their employment bases. The 1993 Whatcom County Report calculates 124 jobs in eastern Whatcom county.
Yet, we must not mislead ourselves into thinking geothermal is a clean and limitless energy (we did that with nuclear power in the 1950s). There are impacts. Water issues are the biggest concern, especially if developers work on the cheap and do not have the proper recovery technology. Carbon dioxide is produced, but the impacts are one-fifteenth to one-thirtieth that of natural gas, the cleanest of the abundant fuel sources currently in our portfolio.
If geothermal is done correctly and respectfully — no development on sacred sites or in wilderness areas and national parks — we can bring hundreds of megawatts online in Washington state. The discussion needs to begin now with the tribes, utilities, environmentalists and state agencies.
It is time for Washington state to recognize the great potential for what is being called “the forgotten renewable.” The underground windmills are waiting.
