The project includes a geothermal power plant, a photovoltaic solar field, and a supporting network of 17 new production and injection wells. Infrastructure such as well pads, access roads, pipelines, a substation, a switching station, and a transmission (gen-tie) line will also be constructed.
Geothermal energy is especially abundant in the western U.S., where the BLM oversees approximately 245 million acres of surface public lands and 700 million acres of subsurface mineral estate. According to government figures, a single megawatt from geothermal generation can supply electricity for roughly 1,104 American homes per year.
In addition to the Crescent Valley approval, the BLM recently fast-tracked three other geothermal projects in Nevada: Diamond Flat, McGinness Hills, and Pinto. These efforts support national goals to accelerate clean energy deployment on public lands.
The Diamond Flat project, south of Fallon, involves preliminary resource confirmation by Ormat Nevada, Inc., including direct push holes and temperature gradient wells. Depending on the findings, Ormat may drill up to 19 geothermal exploration wells. All test wells will be sealed and the area restored unless commercial use is pursued.
The McGinness Hills expansion includes the addition of a solar field, new wells, an expanded geothermal plant, and related pipelines. This work falls within Ormat’s existing development zone, where only half the authorised disturbance area has been used.
Source: Rigzone
