Seattle Workshop Heralds New Era for Geothermal Energy Potential in the Pacific Northwest

Organized by the Geothermal Energy Association (GEA) and Gold Level Sponsors, Enel North America, Ormat Technologies and Pratt and Whitney Power Systems, the workshop included a Pacific Northwest regional update as well as updates from U.S. industry leaders about their latest projects and technologies.

The workshop first took shape in 2008, when Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels contacted GEA to discuss the idea of holding a geothermal energy workshop in Seattle. With the help of the city, GEA put together a program of experts from industry, academia and government who all gathered on June 3rd at the Washington Convention and Trade Center for a full-day program. The workshop centered on a key theme: what opportunities exist to expand geothermal energy use in states and regions where we know there are resources, but they are not well researched or proven?

After a warm welcome from Mayor Nickels, staff from Congressman Jim McDermott and State Senator Adam Kline, Washington State Geologist Dave Norman set the stage by delivering a presentation on the geothermal resources of Washington State.  Perhaps the most important and telling comment of the workshop was Norman’s observation that in the 1970’s when the United States Geological Survey did their most comprehensive mapping to date of geothermal resources, they basically stopped at the Washington border. The reason: cheap and plentiful hydro-electric power from the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) made even the alluring geothermal profile of the state’s Cascade range seem somewhat moot.

But now times have changed. Karl Gawell, executive director of GEA attended an event hosted by northwest utilities in Portland the day before the workshop and noted, “The customers of BPA have been told that the days of relying on meeting their growing power needs by calling on BPA are over. New energy [that is] needed to service load growth will have to come from other sources, and that has rejuvenated interest in geothermal energy throughout the region.”

There have also been various as-yet unsuccessful attempts in the Washington State Legislature to boost the RPS target to 20% of load service from renewable energy by 2025. It is also worth noting that the law does not allow new hydro-electric energy projects (i.e. dams) of any size to claim eligibility for renewable energy credits under the RPS program.

The consensus message from the workshop was that it is time to take a serious look at geothermal resource potential in the Pacific Northwest.  As attendees learned later in the day from Arlene Anderson of the U.S. Department of Energy, there is also an unprecedented opportunity for accessing federal 2009 stimulus funds for geothermal energy research and development.  For states like Washington that are basically interested in doing baseline resource profiles, help may be on the way. 

President Obama recently awarded $30 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds for the National Geothermal Data System, Resource Assessment, and Classification System. According to Ms. Anderson from DOE, “This system will fund a detailed characterization of geothermal energy resources nationwide, support the development of a nationwide data system to make resource data available to academia, researchers, and the private sector, and support the development of a geothermal resource classification system for use in determining site potential.”

Throughout the day, geothermal energy and technology companies profiled various state-of-the-art drilling and hydrothermal technologies, power systems, cutting edge resource development ideas such as enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) and direct use applications such as those at the Oregon Institute of Technology campus.  The consistent message from industry for Washington State is that the capacity, technology and resources exist to assist in whatever project opportunities may be identified. Leading project developers were able to showcase new utility-scale projects that are coming on line throughout the western states.

The workshop also featured panels focusing on the very practical challenges and issues facing geothermal development projects in the U.S.  What are the federal policies for exploration and leasing on federal lands that are either supportive or discouraging to geothermal developers?  How can the up-front costs and expenses related to finding and “proving” geothermal resources be supported by state and federal programs, or built into financing packages?  What are the key environmental, cultural resource and community issues that must be considered when siting and developing geothermal resources?

If "stirring the pot" in the Pacific Northwest was a goal of the workshop, it succeeded.  After leaving the conference, there was a feeling of a new beginning for geothermal energy in the region.

John McCaull is the Western States Representative for the Geothermal Energy Association.