Well, we’ve got a couple of things going on today:

1. Dr. Mark Z. Jacobson, (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Stanford University) recently released a well documented study examining energy security and potential. His observations and research confirm many of the points regarding renewable energy we have made on our blog. If you are interested in exploring the viability of different energy options, I encourage you to check out this article. His conclusion is right on target:

Wind, geothermal, tidal, solar, wave, and hydroelectric provide electricity at most benefit and least impact.

2. Wired recently reported on the nations first “underwater wind turbine,” installed in Mississippi River near Hastings, Minnesota.

The 35-kilowatt turbine is positioned downstream from an existing hydroelectric-plant dam and — together with another turbine to be installed soon — will increase the capacity of the plant by more than 5 percent.

Hydrokinetic turbines like those produced by Hydro Green and Verdant capture the mechanical energy of the water’s flow and turn it into energy, without need for a dam.

“After the wind and solar craze, people said, ‘What else is out there?’” Stover said. “The investment community is quite interested.”

Why are we reporting on this? Simply to demonstrate the viability of different types of renewable energy, and to refute the “fossil-fuel” myth.

3. A new 60 MW wind farm to be built in Wasco County is closer to final approval.

Cascade Wind is positioned to help Oregon take a national leadership role in renewable energy production. We are excited to be working with so many people dedicated to expanding clean, green and environmentally responsible energy options in the northwest,” said Paul Gaynor, President and CEO of UPC Wind. “Filing our application today is a solid step forward in our plans to develop the Cascade Wind Project, which will greatly expand Oregon’s wind energy capacity.”

4. A company in Vancouver is making steady progress in geothermal exploration and use. Keep the good work up.

5.  Kulongoski is pushing a new tax-per-mile for all Oregon residents. A GPS system would be installed in a person’s car, record how many miles they drive, and calculate how much they owe in taxes based on that information. Oregon’s governor would like a new revenue stream. No surprises there.

“You could potentially make geothermal last essentially forever,” John Blackwell–SMU Geothermal Lab

According to Blackwell,

two percent of the world’s supply of geothermal power is several thousand times the annual use of energy in the United States.

Geothermal could revolutionize energy, as we know it. Here are the facts:

1. Geothermal is renewable.
2. Geothermal is stable.
3. Geothermal is not subject to fossil fuel constraints or volatility.
4. Geothermal does not consume any valuable resources.
5. Geothermal does not produces any greenhouse gases.
6. Geothermal delivers power 24/7, independent of weather, surface water levels or heat waves.
7. Geothermal provides a long-term place of employment and a known and consistent power price to its buyers.
8. Geothermal power plants enjoy low visibility and uses comparatively little land. Skillful planning can create a plant that is almost invisible from a short distance.

According to David Blackwell with SMU Lab,

The power plants don’t emit any kind of waste products.

Moreover, he pointed out that the hot water that shoots through geothermal plants goes right back down into the ground to be used over and over in an endless geothermal loop. According to Blackwell, if all the nations of the earth worked full-bore to develop geothermal resources, geothermal could eventually meet the power needs of 75 to 90 percent of all the people on the planet.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Energy released a study that said with proper investing in geothermal technology, the United States could conjure enough energy from geothermal power plants to provide a tenth of the nation’s power demands by 2050. One ideal place to start, the report said, would be somewhere with hot rocks relatively shallow beneath the surface to help reduce expenses.

Oregon has just such a location: the Newberry Geothermal Project:

The Newberry Geothermal Project is located on the western flank of Newberry Volcano, several miles from the Newberry crater in an area that allows geothermal development.

However, radical environmental groups are opposing the development of the Newberry crater.

In fall of 2007 approval was given for tests to be done on a 5-acre site outside the boundaries of the Newberry National Volcanic Monument to asses the possibility of producing renewable clean power for possibly 100,000 households in Oregon. The Juniper Group appealed the decision to prevent the this environmentally friendly project from moving forward. The groups website says, “Months later, our appeal is still pending while we continue to assess legal options to rescind and/or modify the agency’s decision and halt ongoing exploration activities.”

The opposition that the Juniper Group is mounting to this geothermal project is a perfect example of what we oppose. Instead of leading the nation in renewable energy production, Oregon is bowing to the wishes of fringe environmental groups.

On Friday, we at Lights On Oregon Blog summarized our coverage of the power of wind.  Today, we’re going to examine the progression of our geothermal posts. Our first post on geothermal energy examined a controversy in central Oregon. In fall of 2007 approval was given for tests to be done on a 5-acre site outside the boundaries of the Newberry National Volcanic Monument to asses the possibility of producing renewable clean power for possibly 100,000 households in Oregon. We noted that

Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Energy released a study that said with proper investing in geothermal technology, the United States could conjure enough energy from geothermal power plants to provide a tenth of the nation’s power demands by 2050.

Moreover,

Renewable energy is available. This Newberry project is yet another example.

And finally, the question was posed:

What kind of message is Oregon sending when we apathetically let radical environmental groups oppose such renewable energy initiatives?

In a general follow up to this post we pointed out that geothermal accounts for 28% of Philippines electricity. Today, we again pose the question

Why do radical environmental groups oppose renewable energy?

According to the Washington Post:

Geothermal power now accounts for about 28 percent of the electricity generated in the Philippines. With 90 million people, about 40 percent of whom live on less than $2 a day, this country has become the world’s largest consumer of electricity from geothermal sources. Billions of dollars have been saved here because of reduced need for imported oil and coal.

In installed geothermal power capacity, the country ranks No. 2 in the world, narrowly trailing the United States, which has far more geothermal potential, far more engineering talent and far greater demand for clean sustainable power.

But unlike in the Philippines, government policy in the United States has been inconsistent….

If geothermal technology continues to advance, the Geological Survey report said, there is enough accessible public and private land in the 13 Western states to supply about half the electricity now generated in the United States.

We, in Oregon, have been identified as one of the leading places on the planet for the harnessing of geothermal power. Central Oregon’s Newberry Crater is said to be one of the best geothermal resources in the world. Currently there is a project going to build a geothermal plant to harness the craters energy. However, The Juniper Group, and other radical environmental organizations oppose the project and have been delaying the building of the plant.

This is, in the most fundamental sense of the term, a tragedy.

For more information about geothermal, see Geothermal Energy Controversy In Central Oregon.

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First, let’s start with some facts:

Geothermal Benefits

1. Geothermal is renewable and provides a stable without consuming valuable resources, or producing greenhouse gases. A geothermal plant operates with effectively zero emissions and avoids millions of tons of carbon dioxide every year.

2. It is not subject to fossil fuel constraints or volatility.

3. It delivers power 24/7, independent of weather, surface water levels or heat waves.

4. It sells its power in a long-term contract for 20 or more years and therefore avoids short-term price or market instabilities. It provides a long-term place of employment and a known and consistent power price to its buyers.

5. The geothermal power plant enjoys low visibility and uses comparatively little land. Skillful planning can create a plant that is almost invisible from a short distance.

Where does Geothermal exist?

Geothermal is a regional resource peculiar to the western United States and other regions of the world where tectonic activity exists. The western states of California, Oregon, Nevada, Washington and Utah have the greatest geothermal potential.

Guess what? Oregon has geothermal potential.

The Newberry Geothermal Project:

The Newberry Geothermal Project is located on the western flank of Newberry Volcano, several miles from the Newberry crater in an area that allows geothermal development.

To see a detailed updates regarding the Northwest Geothermal Companies’ progress, check out their newsroom.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Energy released a study that said with proper investing in geothermal technology, the United States could conjure enough energy from geothermal power plants to provide a tenth of the nation’s power demands by 2050.

One ideal place to start, the report said, would be somewhere with hot rocks relatively shallow beneath the surface to help reduce expenses.

Newberry fits into that category.

Renewable energy is available. This Newberry project is yet another example. What kind of message is Oregon sending when we apathetically let radical environmental groups oppose such renewable energy initiatives?

In fall of 2007 approval was given for tests to be done on a 5-acre site outside the boundaries of the Newberry National Volcanic Monument to asses the possibility of producing renewable clean power for possibly 100,000 households in Oregon.  The Juniper Group appealed the decision to prevent the this environmentally friendly project from moving forward.  The groups website says, “Months later, our appeal is still pending while we continue to assess legal options to rescind and/or modify the agency’s decision and halt ongoing exploration activities.”

Indeed, this is the perfect example of the radical environmental groups that are opposing clean energy in Oregon.

Sign our petition and spread the word.

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