Report points communities toward geothermal development

A report from Oregon Institute of Technology (OIT) lists communities that may be able harness lower-temperature geothermal resources to build local powerplants like the one workshop attendees toured on OIT's Klamath campus. (Photo by OIT Geo-Heat Center)

Long before the current "locavore" movement began spotlighting the many benefits of supporting local business, municipal utilities and electric cooperatives understood the importance of keeping the communities they serve economically healthy. So, public power providers may be surprised to discover an overlooked economic development opportunity right in their own backyards: geothermal resources.

The Oregon Institute of Technology’s (OIT) Geo-Heat Center recently updated its report, Communities with Geothermal Development Potential, to encourage communities located near geothermal resources to take advantage of them. And a significant number of towns could be doing that—the report identified 404 communities in 16 western states.

These "collocated" communities are within five miles of wells and springs with a temperature of 122˚F (50˚C) or more. Co-ops and communities may not realize that such low- to moderate-temperature resources could potentially generate power, said OIT Assistant Director Tonya Boyd, who compiled the data. "That was one reason for updating the report," she acknowledged. "Geothermal generator technology has come a long way—20 years ago, a resource of less than 300˚F wasn't enough to generate power."

So an exploration well that was deemed not worth developing in the 1980s could, depending on other factors, become a local, renewable powerplant.

More than electricity

Even if power generation is not an option, Boyd noted, the community can still benefit from developing direct-use applications. The report classifies resource temperatures by possible uses:

• 122˚F – Resort/spa facilities and greenhouse and aquaculture operations

• 145˚F and above – Space and district heating

• 180˚F and above – Industrial applications

• 200˚F and above – Power generation

All of the 404 communities have a potential for resort/spa facilities and greenhouse and aquaculture applications. Of those, 204 could harness earth's energy for space and district heating, 91 additional communities have resources that could support industrial applications and 58 have the potential for electric power generation.

Many of these towns are in parts of the west that greatly need the jobs and revenue such projects could create. So, while power production might not be an option, local utilities still have reasons to take an active interest in development. Space and district heating systems, for example, might smooth out winter peaks created by electric resistance heaters. Replacing wood and propane systems with clean, reliable geothermal heat could potentially improve the economic, and some cases, the physical health of a community. And a clean, carbon-free source of industrial process heat is only going to become more attractive to businesses.

Cost-effective heat, power

The uses for low- to moderate-temperature resources are as varied as the communities themselves. Breweries, fish farms, food processing facilities, biofuel plants, even college campuses throughout the west use geothermal energy to keep operation costs down. For decades, the Klamath Falls campus of OIT has tapped heat from the earth to warm classrooms, heat its swimming pool and melt snow from its sidewalks. Now the school is building a 1-megawatt, moderate-temperature electrical plant that will produce a significant portion of the Klamath Falls campus's power needs.

In addition to the $8.5 million 1-MW project, the campus is adding a second, low-temperature powerplant that can run on existing wells on the campus; two large, heated aquaculture ponds and a pair of greenhouses. These facilities are intended to be incubators for researchers and companies bringing industry to Klamath County. Eventually, the geothermal system could become part of the Sustainable Technology Park at OIT, where students will get hands-on experience with solar, wind and biofuels.

The powerplant will cut $500,000 from the school's electric bills, not counting the excess electricity that could be sold to a commercial power company. The school already saves about $1 million annually in heating costs, and plans to make about $200,000 by selling geothermal heat.

Taking the first step

Boyd noted that combining other uses with electrical generation often improves the economics of a project. But first, a community has to learn about its resources and decide what kind of development would be appropriate. "The report is really just the beginning, but it is an easy step to take," she said.

Utilities, economic development offices and city councils can order CDs containing the information that went into the report from the Geo-Heat Center store. The cost is $12 for a single state's database, and $27.50 for all 16 states.

The database lists towns by county; gives resource temperature, depth and flow; the number of springs and existing wells and the potential uses. "It's very user-friendly, and we welcome feedback we can put into the next update," Boyd said. "The report will continue to evolve."

She added that most communities in the database are aware that the resources exist, having already experienced some geothermal development. "If they haven't pursued development, the report may show them that it is time to give geothermal energy another look."

Resources

Oregon Institute of Technology Geo-Heat Center

OIT Klamath Falls Campus

Western States Geothermal Database CDs

Geo-Heat Center store

People

Tonya Boyd

< PREVIOUS — NEXT >