Oregon may turn to efficient geothe
rmal energy
HKN'l). Ore (API Hit' res! of the
nation began to tap geothermal energy in
the 1960s while (.heap hydroelei trie
power fueled the Northwest The 1990s
may find Oregon looking underground
for new energy sources
Most of the major rivers already are
dammed, and new hydro projects could
threaten fish runs already damaged hv
existing dams
Alex Sifford, an energy resource spe
cialist with the Oregon Department of
I nergv. savs geothermal energy may be
one of the region's best liets for develop
ing an effii lent, safe and relatively dean
source of electricity.
"Up here we have the < heapest electro
rates in the country, so very little has
been able to compete until recently. Sif
ford said. "Geothermal and all the other
renewable energy sources are going to be
brought on line."
The first proje<! to be completed in
Oregon is likely to be a $1U> million
plant on the western slope of Newberry
( .rater, just south of Bend.
After a year of rev iew , the federal gov
ernment has given CT. Exploration Co of
Portland approval fur a pro jet I on the lip
of the am lent volcano
CK Kxploration plans to set up to 14
well pads within three miles of its pow
er plant Kach pad would tap two to four
wells plunging ft.000 to 8.000 feet into
geothermal reservoirs Construction
should take about three years
Hut the projei I s sum ess depends on
the temperature of the water 350 to 450
degrees is needed and the sire of the
geothermal reservoir It could lake a year
or more to determine if the resoun e is
Niiffii tent
From .m environmental standpoint, the
proposal has attracted little • ritioism
"I've done projei ts in California and
Nevada for various federal agem ies
before, and this review is probably as
comprehensive and difficult as we ve
ever been through," said David McClain.
CK Kxploration's projects manager
In fact, many environmentalists who
have examined plans for the Newberry
project, such as Dr Jim Mahoney of Bend,
are satisfied
Mahoney. a member of the Sierra ( Mid),
represents environmentalists on a com
muni tv advisory council assigned to
monitor the protect
Although state Sierra Club leaders have
not taken a position on the plan,
Mahoney said he personally believes the
prop* t is sound
"They've done a good job. there's no
two ways about it. Mahoney said If
you're going to do geothermal power in
Oregon and have it done in an environ
mentally responsible manner, this ts as
close as you're going to come
The plant would tie partially i om ealed
by the landsc ape, and would generate a
small steam plume appearing as a small
white cloud. Me ( lam say s
Hot water from the ysells yvould he
cooled and re-injec ted into the' ground,
yvhere it yvould rejoin geothermal reser
voirs
Hut one critic say s trac e chemicals in
the hot water could pose a problem il
they leac hed into groundwater, a toys
thousand feet above the geothermal reser
voirs Robert Windix of Bend worked
from 1977 to 1987 at The ('.evsers. a geot
hermal field in California
Tve l teen there ami seen that diligence
isn't alvvin s tin- highest priority." VVittdis
said.
A not Iter concern is th« potential
release of hydrogen sulfide, n gas that
smells like rotten eggs
Inside Newberry ('rater, tiny amounts
of gas leak from thermal springs at Hast
and Paulina lakes, hut much larger
amounts would surface through wells
Mi ( lain said the plant will be
equipped with an emissions treatment
system that will c apture more than 98
percent of the gas
Meanwhile, supporters are hoping the
pro jet t will become a model for geother
mal development in Oregon
"These test projot ts are the most rea
suitable wav to proceed right now." state
Sen Neil Hryant. K Rend, a member of an
advisory i emu il for the Newberry pro
jec t. said of future energy needs.
1 here's a strong likelihood that power
from hydroelectricity will continue to
UK reuse m price." he said "If the salmon
rei overy plan doesn't work. it i ou Id rea I
ly int reuse and also lie limited
ET ALS
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