Ormat

Ormat Adopts Hybrid Solar+Geothermal Tech

5 years ago Charles W. Thurston 0 Comments

Ormat Technologies, the world leader in geothermal energy, is once again going hybrid, adding solar energy to a geothermal plants to raise efficiency and to boost income from the energy off-taker, Southern California Public Power Authority (SCPPA). The 18 megawatt photovoltaic solar installation will cover the geothermal plant’s parasitic, or operational energy consumption, freeing up power that SCPPA agreed last year to purchase at a hefty rate of $75.50/MW-hour.

Uh-Oh! Government Motors Buys Carbon Offsets!

12 years ago susan 3 Comments

In a move that almost seems calculated to enrage the Right with its Fox- and Rush-driven rage against the Volt, Chevy has announced it will voluntarily buy “8 million tonnes” worth of carbon offsets for $40 million to help it meet “voluntary emission reduction goals” within five years.

Even the spelling in the announcement is sissified. These are not even American tons!

Hawaii Inches Toward 100% Renewable Energy; Geothermal Resources 2.5 to 7 Times Demand

12 years ago proteus 15 Comments

Releasing a report on the ‘Big Island’ of Hawai’i’s geothermal energy resources, local and state government leaders agreed that the island and island state should aim to rely on local, renewable resources for 100% of its energy needs. While Hawai’i Island continues to pay more than $1 billion a year to import oil, the report’s authors found that Hawai’i Island’s geothermal resources have the capacity to meet the island’s energy needs several times over.

DOE Guarantees Loans Up to $624MM for Wind, Geothermal, Cellulosic Ethanol

13 years ago proteus 1 Comment

The US Dept. of Energy (DOE) issued partial loan guarantees for renewable energy projects in three states totaling as much as $624 million Friday. Energy Secretary Chu announced partial loan guarantees of $168.9 million for Granite Reliable Power’s 99-megawatt (MW) wind farm, New Hampshire’s largest; up to $350 million for Ormat Nevada’s 113MW geothermal power plants; and $105 million for POET’s ‘first-of-its-kind’ cellulosic ethanol bio-refinery in Iowa.

Geothermal Plant Supplies ~20% of Hawaii’s Electricity

13 years ago proteus 1 Comment

Living on active volcanic islands has its downsides and its upsides. When it comes to the plus side, there’s the potential to use geothermal energy to produce significant amounts of cheap, clean, renewable electrical power. And that’s what’s happening on the ‘Big Island’ of Hawaii, where Ormat Technologies’ Puna Geothermal Venture is producing about 20% of the electricity consumed on the island, which removes the need to buy and burn some 144,000 barrels of oil a year.