Three Geothermal Power Plants Moving Ahead in Nevada

May 17, 2006

Geothermal power developers are planning to build three new geothermal plants in Nevada. AMP Resources, LLC aims to bring its 26-megawatt Stillwater 2 Geothermal Plant online by the end of 2007, which will make it the first of the three plants to be completed. The company was awarded a construction permit from the Nevada Public Utilities Commission (PUC) on May 10th, and plans to submit to the PUC a long-term power purchase agreement with Nevada Power Company. The plant will replace the 7-megawatt Stillwater 1 Geothermal Plant, located in western Nevada, about 75 miles east of Reno. See the Nevada PUC press release (PDF 18 KB) and the AMP Resource Web site. Download Adobe Reader.

Ormat Nevada, Inc. is next in line, having just signed an agreement to sell the power from its proposed geothermal plant to Sierra Pacific Power Company. The 20-year agreement still needs the approval of the Nevada PUC, but if approved, Ormat will build a 15- to 25-megawatt geothermal plant at the site of its existing Steamboat Geothermal Complex in western Nevada. Ormat expects the Galena No. 3 Geothermal Power Project to start producing power in 2008. See the Ormat press release.

The plant with the furthest to go is under development in northern Nevada, near Interstate 80 and just southwest of Winnemucca. Nevada Geothermal Inc. has started drilling production wells at the site to support its planned 30-megawatt Blue Mountain power plant. See the Nevada Geothermal press release and the company's Blue Mountain Web page.