Great Basin Center For Geothermal Energy

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GREAT BASIN CENTER FOR GEOTHERMAL ENERGY(GBCGE)
Summary of Activities - 2002
Lisa Shevenell, Associate Director Jim Taranik,
Director University of Nevada, Reno
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CENTER VISION To become recognized as a center
of excellence in promoting the development and
utilization of geothermal energy as a viable,
clean energy source
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Organization of the Great Basin Center for
Geothermal Energy

• University of Nevada
• Mackay School of Mines
• Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology
• Department of Geological Sciences
• Department of Chemical Engineering
• Department of Mechanical Engineering
• Department of Mining Engineering
• College of Engineering
• Department of Mechanical Engineering
• Interdisciplinary Program in Hydrology/Hydrogeolog
  y
• Desert Research Institute
• Division of Hydrologic Sciences

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Ad Hoc Advisory Board

• Dean E. Alford, Converse Consultants, Elko,
  Nevada
• Gordon Bloomquist, Washington State University
• Sara Boddy, Science Writer, National Renewable
  Energy Laboratory
• Alan Coyner, Administrator, Nevada Division of
  Minerals
• Ted Clutter, Executive Director, Geothermal
  Resources Council
• Curtis Frammel, Department of Energy, Western
  Regional Office
• Larry Garside, Research Geologist, Nevada Bureau
  of Mines and Geology
• Karl Gawell, Director, Geothermal Energy
  Association
• Ed. Hoover, Manager Geothermal Program, Sandia
  National Laboratory
• Roger Jacobsen, Vice President, Desert Research
  Institute, UCCSN
• Stuart Johnson, Manager, Caithness Energy
• Carl Linvill, Assistant to the Governor of Nevada
  for Energy
• John Lund, Director, Geo Heat Center, Oregon
• Jane Long, Dean, Mackay School of Mines, UNR
• Randolph Manion, Western Area Power
  Administration
• John Miller, Vice President, Calpine

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Congressional Recognition of Center

• Initial funding for the Great Basin Center for
  Geothermal Energy was provided by legislation
  introduced by Senator Harry Reid under Title III
  of the Energy and Water Development Appropriation
  Act of 2002.
• The Act became Public Law 107-66 when signed by
  President George W. Bush on November 12, 2001.
• The Joint House/Senate Conference agreement
  language provides for 29 million for geothermal
  activities and includes, 1,000,000 for the UNR
  Geothermal Energy Center

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The FY 02 Congressional Appropriation

• 1 million originally, reduced to 936,000.
• Managed through DOE Idaho Operations Office and
  Idaho National Energy and Environmental
  Laboratory (INEEL).
• ?10 for GeoPowering of the West
• ?10 for Program Management
• ?80 for Competitively Selected Research Projects
  in Geothermal Resources

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Acknowledgements
Jay Nathwani, Program manager, DOE Idaho
Operations Office Joel Renner, Idaho National
Engineering and Environmental Laboratory Funding
To the Great Basin Center for Geothermal Energy,
through the cooperative grant DE-FG07-02ID14311
administered by DOE, Idaho Operations Office and
the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental
Laboratory.
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Goals

• To accelerate the acquisition, organization,
  cataloging, and linking of critical data and
  information on the geothermal resources of the
  Great Basin.
• To provide rapid and easy access to geothermal
  data and information for stakeholders involved in
  geothermal development.
• To promote the conduct of collaborative
  geothermal research between academic
  organizations and industry to accelerate
  applications.
• To stimulate public awareness of geothermal
  energy and the advantages of its use.

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Functions

• Outreach Web pages, Workshops
• Research

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Workshop Summary - 2002

• January 11 Geothermal Opportunities in NV
• January 17 - Collaborative Research Discussions
  (LBNL, LLNL)
• April 18-19 - Introduction to Geothermal Energy
  (w/GRC, DOE, NREL)
• June 12-13 - DOE sponsored Research at Dixie
  Valley (w/DOE, Caithness)

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January 11, 2002 Workshop at UNR (Geothermal
Opportunities in NV)
1. Leasing, public land policy, permitting and
cultural issues. 2. Transmission and access to
the grid. 3. Knowledge base, database,
technology transfer and assessment of potential
resources. 4. Economic and power purchase
issues, tax incentives, benefit analysis. 5.
Panel discussion and summary.
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January 17 - Collaborative Research Discussions

• Day-long discussions with informal presentations
• Initiated collaborations between UNR, LLNL
  LBL
• in geochemical studies and research
• in remote sensing research
• Approximately 20 attendees

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April 18-19 - Introduction to Geothermal Energy

• Cosponsored by GRC, DOE, NREL, GBCGE
• Consisted of 17 presentations and a ½ day field
  trip to the Steamboat and Moana geothermal areas
• Approximately 90 attendees

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June 12-13 - DOE sponsored Research at Dixie
Valley (w/DOE)

• Technical presentation were made by 23 speakers,
  and breakout sessions were held on the following
  topics
• Geotectonics/Geologic Setting
• Exploration Technology Applications
• Geochemical Studies
• Reservoir Geology, Structure and Analysis
• Written Summaries have been prepared

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Research in Geothermal Resources
Solicited proposals (due 2/15/02) for research on
(1)   Geothermal Resource Exploration, (2)
Geothermal Resource Assessment, (3)  
Geothermal Reservoir Management.
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Proposals

• Received 26 proposals totaling 3.5 million from
  UNR and DRI
• Peer reviewed by volunteers from the USGS,
  National Labs, Private sector, Industry and
  other Universities
• Selected 7 proposals for funding
• Awarded March 22, 2002 one-year grants

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Proposal Reviewers

• Affiliation Name Proposals
• USGS Colin Williams 10
• John Sass 4
• Bob Mariner 1
• Industry
• Caithness Stu Johnson 6
• SAIC Sabodh Garg 1
• Independent
• Jim Combs 1

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Proposal Reviewers - National Laboratories
Affiliation Name Proposals ANL Neil
Sturchio 2 LBL John Apps 1 Pat
Dobson 2 Stefan Finsterle 1 Mack
Kennedy 1 Marcelo Lippman 2 Karsten
Pruess 1 Don Vasco 2
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Proposal Reviewers - National Laboratories
Affiliation Name Proposals PNNL Rick
Orth 1 SNL Karl Gross 1 Maryanne
Walck 2
Proposal Reviewers Misc
Navy Frank Monastero 1
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Proposal Reviewers - Universities
Affiliation Name Proposals EGS Paul
Brophy 3 UTEP Steve Harder 1 OIT John
Lund 3 N AZ U Paul Morgan 4 U ID Batric
Pesic 1 U AL Ramana Reddy 1 U Auck Stuart
Simmons 2 UNLV Catherine Snelson 1 U
UT Phil Wannamaker 1
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Proposal Reviewers - DOE
Affiliation Name Proposals DOE-ID Jay
Nathwani 26 INEEL Joel Renner 26
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Selected Proposals

• 6 of the 7 selected research projects described
  in this session
• One not discussed in this session, but in poster
  session
• Targeting Potential Geothermal Resources in the
  Great Basin from Regional Relationships Between
  Geodetic Strain and Geological Structures Lead
  Investigator, Dr. Geoff Blewitt
• One also in poster session
• Assembly of a Crustal Seismic Velocity and
  Density Database for the Western Great Basin
  Lead Investigator, Dr. John Louie

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Summary of Geothermal Center

• Center has two components Research Outreach
• Research projects on-going workshops
  organized
• Renewed funding anticipated for 2003-2004
• To be placed on mailing list, initiate
  collaborations or assist w/future proposal
  reviews, contact geothermal_at_mines.unr.edu

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Proposed Future Center Tasks

• Great Basin geothermal resource assessment
  program, in collaboration with the USGS
• Evaluation of geothermal potential based on
  existing data, new surveys and modeling,
• Evaluation of geological models and new
  geophysical methods,
• Construction of geophysical, geochemical and
  geological models for characterizing existing
  plant performance and reservoirs.
• Evaluation of the application of geothermometers
  in Nevada incorporating drilled temperatures at
  currently producing facilities.

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Proposed Future Center Tasks, Continued

• Engineering evaluation of geothermal utilization
• Effects of adding 100MWe of new capacity each
  year to the existing transmission and
  distribution grid,
• Domestic uses of geothermal energy,
• Reduction of silicate and carbonate scaling.
• Geothermal reservoir sustainability studies
• Development maintenance of a geothermal data
  resource clearinghouse (ongoing)