Nevada to receive $92 million in energy grants

Published Thursday, Oct. 29, 2009 | 12:32 p.m.

Updated Thursday, Oct. 29, 2009 | 1:54 p.m.

Nevada is expecting to receive more than $92 million in stimulus grants from the Department of Energy for geothermal exploration and technology projects ranging from finding new sources of power to adding power generation to existing plants.

Of the 123 grants totaling $338 million, Nevada is receiving 25 grants totaling $92.9 million.

Twenty of those projects are based in Nevada and will receive $74.2 million. Another five run by Reno-based companies doing research in other states will receive $20.5 million.

"Nevada has a wealth of geothermal energy and will play a significant role in our nation's effort to expand the use of this clean, renewable energy source," Sen. Harry Reid said in announcing an estimated 1,100 jobs heading for Nevada from the grants.

"We will create thousands of jobs, boost our economy and help to jumpstart the geothermal industry across the United States," Energy Secretary Steven Chu said.

One of the projects helping to spur geothermal development outside Nevada is a $4.9 million grant to ORMAT Nevada to find fault zones within geothermal reservoirs in Maui, Hawaii.

Closer to home, GeoGlobal Energy LLC will spend $4 million in Gabbs, Nev., to help find resources in the Great Basin, which contains most of Nevada.

Magma Energy Corp. is getting a total of $10 million to explore using gas and oil technology to discover geothermal sources in Soda Lake and McCoy, splitting the grant 50-50.

The Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe got $4.8 million to assess geothermal resources on their reservation in Northern Nevada.

Discussion: 3 comments so far…

By sevenhills

10/29/09 at 2:22 p.m.

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Great news!
By info4you2see

10/29/09 at 5:05 p.m.

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Good News! Let's get this started right away. : )
By boingo

10/29/09 at 9:25 p.m.

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Fantastic! Thanks Senator Reid & Pres Obama!