Senate Passed Energy Bill Will Revitalize Geothermal Research

WASHINGTON, Dec. 14 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Late yesterday evening, the Senate passed an energy bill that "will advance geothermal research and development for decades to come," according to the Geothermal Energy Association (GEA), the trade association for the industry.

The Senate passed bill includes the "Advanced Geothermal Energy Research and Development Act of 2007." These provisions are based upon compromise language between House and Senate bills that sought to revitalize geothermal research in light of recent reports by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) that show geothermal energy can be a major energy source in the future with continued federal support for market and technology advances.

The underlying bills were HR 2304, sponsored by Rep. Jerry McNerney (D-CA) and S.1543 introduced by Senate Energy Committee Chairman Jeff Bingaman (D-NM). Both had bipartisan co-sponsorship and support. The final provisions direct the Department of Energy to undertake a broad and aggressive research program to promote geothermal energy and authorize a total of 5 million annually for this new initiative.

"The new program of geothermal research set forth in the energy bill will help push the geothermal industry into a new era of advanced technology and expanded development," said Karl Gawell, GEA's Executive Director. "The geothermal provisions come at a crucial time in the history of the industry. Renewed research, development, and public-private partnerships are needed to continue the momentum we've seen in the past few years."

According to GEA, several key areas are addressed in the energy bill:

-- Geopressured and oil and gas field co-produced resource production: Clean, renewable geothermal energy can be produced with existing natural gas and oil and gas fields. These uses could revolutionize both the geothermal and the fossil fuel industry.

-- Industry-coupled drilling: This program pairs the federal government with geothermal developers to reduce drilling risks and improve drilling precision. Exploration and drilling pose some of the most difficult risks for new geothermal projects and can add significantly to project costs.

-- Enhanced geothermal systems (EGS): The MIT and NREL reports suggest that 100,000 megawatts (MW) or more of geothermal power could be produced using advanced technology. A sustained research and development effort is needed to move towards this goal.

-- Center for geothermal technology transfer: Such a center, which currently does not exist, is critical to developers seeking information about geothermal prospects and technology advances.

-- International Geothermal Collaboration: DOE and US AID are directed to support international geothermal development, particularly related to the African Rift Geothermal Development Facility, Australia, China, France, the Republic of Iceland, India, Japan, and the United Kingdom.

"While we were disappointed that the renewable energy tax provisions were not included in the final bill, we applaud Speaker Pelosi and Leader Reid for their overall accomplishment," Gawell said. "This energy bill shows the tide is turning, and with increased awareness about the urgency of global warming and the continued crisis posed by our dependence on foreign sources of energy, renewable energy and energy efficiency can only continue to grow and become an ever larger part of our energy mix."

For more information on geothermal energy visit: http://www.geo-energy.org/.

Geothermal Energy Association

CONTACT: Karl Gawell of Geothermal Energy Association, 1-202-454-5264

Web Site: http://www.geo-energy.org/