Steam Proves Elusive at Newberry Geothermal Project

While sucess at Newberry geothermal project would be a major positive step forward for distributed generation of renewable energy for Central Oregon the financial costs already incurred and the potential enviromental risks are concerns that should be constantly evaluated.

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The drill at Newberry
By Kate Ramsayer – The Bulletin – September 28, 2009

Last year, Davenport Power drilled two exploratory wells 10,000 feet below the flanks of Newberry Volcano searching for hot rocks and water but found nothing but heat.

Now the company, which hopes to tap into geothermal power in the Deschutes National Forest south of Bend, is making plans to use a suite of other less-intensive methods to further map the underground rocks and temperatures in the area to find other potential drill sites.

When crews bored two wells just to the west of Paulina Lake, outside of the Newberry National Volcanic Monument last year, instruments measured plenty of heat but not enough water or steam to turn turbines and generate power, said Doug Perry, president of Davenport Power.

The company hopes eventually to drill production wells that could fuel a power plant capable of providing electricity to about 100,000 homes.

Why Can’t Bend be a “Solar City”?

The biggest reason Bend can’t be a “Solar City” is the lack of leadership and vision from the real estate and developer centric political players who effectively control the city (and the Central Oregon counties).  Portland, which has much less average sunlight than Central Oregon, led by its progressive leadership, created a Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, adopted a Solar Now! program and hired a Solar Program Coordinator.

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Clouds Can’t Hold Back Portland’s Solar Expansion
by John Gartner – Matter Network – April 20, 2009

On an unusually warm and sunny April day, Portland Mayor Sam Adams accepted a Solar America Cities Award from the Department of Energy and pledged to greatly expand the amount of solar power in the city.

Portland was one of 25 cities to have earned the Solar City award in 2007-8 which included a matching grant of $200,000 to be used for outreach to consumers about the viability of solar in the often cloudy Northwest, and to work with private companies to produce and sell solar panels. Though the 2009 award, which was handed out at the National League of Cities Green Cities Conference does not guarantee another DOE grant, city officials are hopeful that a similar amount will be made available after the department’s budget is finalized in the next few months.

Mayor Adams, who took office in January, set a goal for the city of expanding the installed solar in the city from the current 2 megawatts to 5 megawatts by 2012, and hopes that the actual number will be around 10 megawatts. Adams said that after factoring in federal and state incentives in Oregon, solar is “getting dangerously to being at a commensurate price for grid power.”

The city is developing co-marketing opportunities with contractors, roofing companies and building inspectors to communicate to consumers that installing a new roof “is an ideal time for installing solar.” The city will also include marketing materials about solar to consumers in communications from the city-operated water and sewer utilities.