Public land eyed for energy By JONATHAN ATHENS, Staff Writer
Sunday, March 4, 2007 9:17 PM PST
TODD KRAININ PHOTO
Public land in western Imperial County could be opened for energy exploration, including geothermal power.
SALTON SEA Federal authorities are considering opening up 14,731 acres of public land in western Imperial County for geothermal exploration and possibly more electric power plants.
If those plans pass muster, it will mean more jobs, more tax revenue for the county and more power generated, but don’t expect it to translate into a savings on your electric bill.
Los Angeles-based Iceland American Energy wants to build three 45-megawatt plants in an area known as Truckhaven, located about 40 miles northwest of El Centro and four miles southwest of Salton City, that company’s Web site says. IAE officials were traveling and could not be reached for comment.
“These are $200 million to $300 million (each). It’s a huge investment,” said Tim Kelley, president and chief executive officer of the Imperial Valley Economic Development Corp.
Kelley said new geothermal plants would be a significant boost to the area economy on several levels from construction of such plants to construction of transmission lines to export electricity generated at those facilities.
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management, the federal agency that oversees the public lands, mailed out notices earlier this month saying it has received five lease applications for geothermal exploration in Truckhaven. BLM says in that letter it will have three public meetings on the proposal.
“Right now we’re just looking to see if it’s feasible for geothermal,” said John Dalton, BLM resource management specialist.
Geothermal industry experts say such plants, because of their location, create jobs in rural communities.
“It (geothermal plants) provides jobs for rural communities as all renewables (energy sources) do,” said Alyssa Kagel, a researcher with the Geothermal Energy Association.
Omaha-based CalEnergy employs more than 285 people at the 10 geothermal plants it operates in the Salton Sea area, the association said. Also, CalEnergy “is the single largest taxpayer in Imperial County,” accounting for “over $12 million” in tax revenue for Imperial County.
“We’re very fortunate to already have geothermal (industry) here,” Kelley said.
Imperial County has 11 known geothermal fields in Brawley, Salton Sea and East Mesa, “and has the largest potential resource base within the state,” a 2005 California Energy Commission report says.
The commission concluded “geothermal development (here) is poised to increase dramatically within the next decade.”
Despite creating more jobs, enriching utility companies and filling the coffers of local governments, more geothermal plants will not mean lower electric bills here or for communities that import electricity generated by plants in Imperial County.
“Customers would pay the same rate because that’s the way it works,” said Tom Boyd, spokesman for Southern California Edison Co.
The utility giant is under a 30-year contract to buy electricity generated at four of CalEnergy’s Imperial Valley geothermal plants. Under a California law signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarze-negger last year, power companies have until 2010 to get 20 percent of their electricity through renewable sources.
Imperial County has its own power grid, generating electricity from the Imperial Irrigation District.
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