California's Salton Sea Initiative to Leverage Geothermal Energy, Improve Air Quality

Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--The Geothermal Energy Association (GEA) (Washington D.C) recently endorsed the Salton Sea Restoration & Renewable Energy Initiative in California, which will leverage funds generated by renewable energy projects at the Salton Sea Resource Area to help finance air quality management and habitat restoration.

The initiative was launched by the Imperial Irrigation District (Imperial, California), in partnership with Imperial County.

California and the rest of the western U.S. have some of the world's most significant geothermal resources that are accessible for development.

Industrial Info is tracking 33 geothermal projects in North America with more than $5.8 billion in total investment value. The two states in North America with the most geothermal projects in development are California, with nine projects with more than $2.3 billion in total, and Nevada, with 10 geothermal projects, with more than $1.9 billion.

Click on the image at right for a graph detailing North American geothermal projects,

Geothermal projects sited in the Salton Sea Resource Area will serve a dual purpose: producing renewable energy, while doubling as groundcover to mitigate air emissions. Under legislation enacted in 2013, the planning and implementation of projects at the Salton Sea are to be driven locally by the Salton Sea Authority, with support from the state of California.

The initiative will first focus on developing up to 1,700 megawatts (MW) of new geothermal energy at the Salton Sea--enough to power more than 1 million homes. Not only is there more geothermal generating capacity in the Imperial Valley than anywhere else in the U.S., but geothermal energy can be produced with minimal impact on landscape and habitat.

The GEA estimates that California and Nevada still have a significant amount of recoverable geothermal resources, which are largely untapped.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced a $3 million loan guarantee to spur geothermal energy development identified in areas with no obvious surface expression, by mapping the most favorable intersections of heat, permeability and fluid. Also, the DOE announced a $10 million program to improve subsurface characterization for enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) by developing advanced methods to quantify critical reservoir properties. EGS are engineered geothermal reservoirs created to produce energy from resources that are otherwise not economical due to lack of water/fluid resources and/or permeability.

The GEA recently concluded its International Geothermal Showcase event at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington D.C. The event showcased geothermal trends and government policies in the U.S. and around the world, including the current geothermal market, major public funding entities, mitigation of project risks, projects under development in the U.S. and internationally, as well as the outlook for the future of the geothermal market.

View Project Report - 300054099 300040149

Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, three offices in North America and 10 international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Industrial Info's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle™, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities.