Leading Stories, Releases, Solicitations
- Utah to Host Ultimate Geothermal Energy Event in October
- DOE Announces $4 Million for Geothermal Deep Direct-Use Feasibility Studies
- Drilling to begin in Great Basin geothermal exploration research project
- Two Gosar Bills Pass the House Committee on Natural Resources by a Bipartisan Unanimous Consent
- Heller to Energy: Pick Nevada for Geothermal Laboratory
- Calpine Agrees to be Acquired by Investor Consortium Led by Energy Capital Partners
- U.S. Geothermal Inc. Reports Second Quarter 2017 Results and Reaffirms 2017 Guidance
- Ormat Technologies Reports 2017 Second Quarter Earnings
- Empower Energies Completes 14.5MW Solar Project for CYRQ Energy
- ElectraTherm’s New Manufacturing Facility and Enhanced Test Cell Complete
- Announcing Request for Qualifications (RFQ): California’s Fourth Climate Change Assessment
- USTDA Accepting Proposals for Energy Projects in Africa
- Request for Proposals: Geothermal Drilling Training for the Office Djiboutien de Developpement de l’Energie Geothermique
- 100 Major Companies Have Officially Pledged to Switch to 100% Renewable Electricity
- Geothermal to Help Ensure Grid Runs Smoothly in California During Solar Eclipse
- $15,000 in Scholarship Awards will be presented at the 2017 GRC Annual Meeting
More Headlines
Leading Stories, Releases, Solicitations
Utah to Host Ultimate Geothermal Energy Event in October
Salt Lake City, Utah – Over 1,300 attendees will gather at the world’s largest geothermal energy event, the GRC Annual Meeting and GEO EXPO+ , at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah from October 1-4, 2017.
Utah Governor Gary Herbert will address the Opening Session of the GRC Annual Meeting on Monday, October 2, and he will be joined by other special guests and energy experts. The Opening Session will attract leading researchers, academics, students, state and federal agency officials, and executives from over 200 companies, such as Berkshire Hathaway Energy, CYRQ Energy, Calpine, Coso Energy, ENEL Green Power, Ormat Technologies, Inc., U.S. Geothermal Inc., and others that develop, build, maintain and operate geothermal plants around America and the world.
The GRC Annual Meeting features over 70 hours of technical presentations, workshops, fieldtrips, a plenary session, networking events and more. The GRC Technical Session programs will cover a wide array of topics pertaining to geothermal energy.
The GEOEXPO+ features exhibits by leading companies who are paving the way for geothermal development through new projects, products, services, and technology. The exhibit hall will be open Monday at noon through Wednesday at noon.
In addition, there will be joint GRC/GEA policy and market development discussion panels on topics ranging from permit streamlining and new technology developments to the growing international geothermal market.
For information or to register for the GRC Annual Meeting go to: https://geothermal.org/meet-new.html or contact alay@geothermal.org.
For information about the GEOEXPO+ or to register to exhibit or attend the GEO-EXPO+ go to: http://www.geothermalexpo.org or contact Kathy Schott at Kathy@geo-energy.org.
To request an interview with anyone in the geothermal sector or one of our special guests, please contact Rhonda Mills, 323-578-2912 or email rhonda@rtides.com.
About the Geothermal Energy Association: The Geothermal Energy Association represents over 100 companies in the American geothermal power industry, which supports a workforce of almost 12,000 full-time U.S. jobs. Our nation’s leading developers and energy producers run 104 operating plants in nine states with a capacity of 3,700 megawatts at a replacement value of over $20 billion. There are over 80 new projects in development.
DOE Announces $4 Million for Geothermal Deep Direct-Use Feasibility Studies
These projects will extend the reach of geothermal energy into previously untapped regions of the country.
The U.S. Department of Energy announced up to $4 million in funding for six geothermal Deep Direct-Use research projects to conduct feasibility studies of large scale, low-temperature deep-well geothermal systems and cascaded surface technologies. These projects will extend the reach of geothermal energy into previously untapped regions of the country: the Appalachian Basin, the Illinois Basin, the Wassuk Range, the Columbia River Basalt Group, the Walker Lake Valley, and the Gulf Coast region of Texas.
DDU is an emerging technology that has been underutilized in the United States. If feasible, it could deliver direct geothermal energy from lower-temperature resources across the country and significantly expand the reach of that energy into geologically distinct parts of the country.
Direct geothermal energy has the potential to diversify the nation’s energy supply and help meet environmental goals. It is expected to use low-temperature, thermal resources in subsurface reservoirs in U.S. regions lacking conventional hydrothermal resources. DDU wells used to directly power buildings would be deeper than ground-source heat pump boreholes and shallower than wells used for enhanced geothermal systems used for electricity generation.
At a large scale, DDU applications can potentially be used to replace conventional district heating and cooling systems in military installations, hospital complexes, office buildings, hotels, and other large energy end-uses. For the purpose of this announcement, large-scale is defined as a space-conditioning area greater than 10,000 sq. ft. or having an annual thermal energy demand equal to or greater than 125 million British thermal units.
The research will evaluate the feasibility of harvesting heat from geothermal brines and using it directly to heat (or cool) buildings, as well as for other beneficial thermal processes. Pairing low-to-medium temperature geothermal fluids with low-to-medium temperature end-uses instead of using higher temperature power generation or fuels with high Btu content to heat and cool various applications with lower energy requirements can result in significant energy conservation gains.
A U.S. Geological Survey assessment estimates that 46,000 Megawatt thermal (MWth) of total beneficial heat is available from U.S. geothermal resources below 90° C (~195° F). DDU promotes large scale, commercially viable systems that optimize the value stream of lower temperature resources through a cascade of uses.
The research teams selected represent a range of partners who will share the cost of performing the feasibility analysis with DOE. The organizations receiving awards include:
- Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y.
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colo.
- Portland State University, Portland, Ore.
- Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, N.M.
- University of Illinois, Champagne, Ill.
- West Virginia University Energy Institute, Morgantown, W.Va.
The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy accelerates the research and development of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies and market-based solutions that strengthen U.S. energy security, environmental quality, and economic vitality.
Visit geothermal.energy.gov to learn more about EERE’s Geothermal Technologies Office, including funding opportunities and efforts to develop innovative technologies capable of locating, accessing, and developing geothermal resources.
Geothermal.energy.gov
Drilling to begin in Great Basin geothermal exploration research project
University of Nevada, Reno receives $1.5 million from DOE for Phase III of project to find ‘blind’ systems
RENO, Nev. – The University of Nevada, Reno received funding to begin drilling geothermal test wells this fall in the final phase of a multi-year research project to refine exploration strategies and reduce the risks in developing new geothermal systems capable of producing commercial electricity in Nevada’s Great Basin.
In July, the Department of Energy announced funding for the continuation of the Nevada Play Fairway Project, which seeks to find geographic areas over which the most favorable combinations of heat, permeability and fluid are thought to exist, but no obvious surface signs would indicate an underground geothermal reservoir. These are known as “blind” or “hidden” geothermal systems and are thought to represent the bulk of the region’s geothermal resources. These blind systems don’t have wet marshy areas or other surface clues, such as hot springs or fumaroles spouting steam.
Phase III moves the project into an exploratory drilling campaign that will test the ability of the models developed in Phase I and II to discover new resources. The University, through their Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology, received $1.5 million from the DOE to finish the third and final phase of the renewable energy project.
“We’re excited to be chosen to continue this work,” Jim Faulds, lead scientist on the project and director of the University’s Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology, said. “We are striving to improve exploration strategies for conventional geothermal systems in order to facilitate development of new geothermal power plants at reduced risks and costs to the geothermal industry.”
The Play Fairway project, administered by the DOE’s Geothermal Technologies Office, has the promise of yielding significant results to target geothermal well sites with temperatures greater than 130 degrees Celsius (266oF), the typical temperature for a productive well to produce electricity. The project seeks to identify new, economically viable geothermal systems in the state. Geothermal is truly renewable energy. Conventional geothermal systems extract the hot water from underground, exchange the heat and return the fluid back underground.
“There is potential in the Great Basin for much greater amounts of geothermal energy than the current 670 MW produced from the 25 power plants already in place,” Faulds said. “The geothermal wealth of this region can be attributed to its active faulting, which allows hot fluids to rise more quickly to levels accessible through drilling. The Play Fairway project can potentially provide a catalyst for accelerating geothermal development in the region.”
“Due to its tectonic setting, Nevada is richly endowed in geothermal resources,” Faulds, who is also the Nevada State Geologist and a professor in the University’s College of Science, said. “However, many of the obvious sites, for example near surface hot springs, have already been discovered. Because most of the geothermal resources in the Great Basin region are blind, it’s important to characterize the favorable characteristics of the known systems and then utilize that information to discover new systems hidden beneath the surface.”
Mapping Renewable Energy
The Play Fairway Project began in 2015 with mapping and analysis of a 40,000 square mile section of the Nevada Great Basin, which identified a few hundred viable sites for geothermal activity using nine critical parameters. In the second phase of the study, Faulds and his team – which includes several other faculty, graduate and undergraduate students at the University – scoured their geothermal potential map and narrowed the study to 24 of the most promising sites in several areas and then narrowed that to five particularly promising areas. They found evidence for commercial-grade geothermal systems at all five of these sites. Phase III will now test their methodologies with drilling at two or possibly three of these sites.
To choose the final sites for drilling, the team looked at proximity to existing electrical transmission corridors, excluded sensitive habitat and wilderness areas, and reviewed permeability factors and other geological, geophysical and geochemical features indicative of geothermal activity.
“In Phase III, we’ll do the drilling to test the methodologies that we’ve used in phases one and two,” Faulds said. “We’ll be drilling temperature gradient wells, to see if we have hot water, from about 500 to 750 feet deep. Full development of a geothermal system usually requires drilling to much greater depths (a mile or more) and is much more expensive, but the presence of commercial-grade systems can usually be identified at 500 to 750 feet deep. If proven, this play fairway methodology then can be adopted by companies and they can invest in exploration and development with more confidence.”
The first two drilling sites are in northern Granite Springs Valley, about 25 miles west of Lovelock, and in southern Gabbs Valley, southwest of the town of Gabbs. The other sites are in the Sou Hills just north of Dixie Valley, Crescent Valley and Steptoe Valley.
The team will initiate drilling this fall and finish by the end of next summer. They will also complete new geophysical surveys, with the nine attributes as a guide. The final report is scheduled to be complete in March 2019.
Other institutions selected to continue their Play Fairway project are Utah State University, University of Hawaii, University of Utah and Washington Division of Geology and Earth Resources
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-08/uonr-dtb081517.php
https://www.unr.edu/nevada-today/news/2017/geothermal-drilling
Two Gosar Bills Pass the House Committee on Natural Resources by a Bipartisan Unanimous Consent
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Congressman Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-04), Chairman of the Congressional Western Caucus and the Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources, released the following statement after two of his energy bills, the Public Land Renewable Energy Development Act (H.R. 825) and the Western Area Power Administration Transparency Act (H.R.2371), passed the House Committee on Natural Resources by a bipartisan vote of unanimous consent.
“I am an ardent supporter of a true all-of-the-above energy policy. The Public Land Renewable Energy Development Act (PLREDA) underscores my commitment to making this a reality. My bill is a bipartisan reform that promotes the smart development of renewable energy by eliminating unnecessary red tape to create a streamlined process that will, in turn, drive investment toward high quality renewable resources,” stated Chairman Paul Gosar. “The revenue sharing mechanism in this bill will help local governments deliver critical services on important projects such as road maintenance, public safety and law enforcement.”
“The Public Lands Renewable Energy Development Act offers an innovative approach to advance renewable development while supporting fish and wildlife conservation on our vital public lands, said Steve Moyer, VP of Government Affairs for Trout Unlimited. “It creates a win-win scenario in which states and counties, American energy consumers, and the public lands, all benefit. We thank Representative Gosar for his steadfast leadership on the bill, and we applaud the strong bipartisan list of cosponsors for the bill,” said Moyer.
The second bill to pass the Committee by unanimous consent is Congressman Gosar’s Western Area Power Administration Transparency Act, which requires the administrator of the Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) to establish a pilot project to increase transparency of the agency’s costs and rates.
Heller to Energy: Pick Nevada for Geothermal Laboratory
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Dean Heller (R-NV) today urged Department of Energy Secretary Rick Perry to strongly consider the Fallon Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy (FORGE) project in the department’s ongoing facility competition.
Last year, the Department of Energy announced the Fallon, Nevada project was one of two candidates being considered by the government to establish a new headquarters for geothermal energy research. Given Nevada’s role as a leader in renewable energy technologies combined with the state’s geothermal makeup, Nevada is uniquely situated for this project. The Department of Energy is expected to make a final decision early next year between the Fallon, Nevada project and another project located in Utah.
In a letter sent to Secretary Perry, signed by all members of the Nevada congressional delegation, the letter argued Nevada is “perfectly suited to host this one-of-a-kind research laboratory.”
“Our state is arguably the world’s intellectual epicenter for geothermal technology development and technical training. Nevada is home to a world class university and community college programs dedicated to training geologic specialists,” the delegation members wrote. “Nevada is the second-most heavily geothermal installed state in the nation, and has the greatest untapped geothermal potential of any state. Furthermore, we have development underway that will expand our geothermal generation portfolio nearly fivefold.”
The groundbreaking Fallon, Nevada project proposal consists of a team that includes Sandia National Laboratories, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the University of Nevada-Reno, the U.S. Geological Survey Menlo Park Science Center, the U.S. Navy Geothermal Program Office, Ormat Nevada, GeothermaEx/Schlumberger, and Itasca Consulting Group.
The Fallon FORGE site lies within and adjacent to the U.S. Naval Air Station Fallon.
The delegation members continued, “This technology represents a revolution for the industry, and presents an enormous opportunity to expand the market share of clean, domestically produced, baseload power in the U.S. electricity mix…As the scientists and researchers at FORGE produce technology breakthroughs, the existing education and economic infrastructure for geothermal in Northern Nevada will provide the strongest possible conditions for these innovations to proliferate into the commercial market.”
https://www.heller.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=2343AD22-4082-4BA2-BF26-13B7AA00A449
Calpine Agrees to be Acquired by Investor Consortium Led by Energy Capital Partners
HOUSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Calpine Corporation (NYSE:CPN), America’s largest generator of electricity from natural gas and geothermal resources, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement under which Energy Capital Partners (Energy Capital or ECP) along with a consortium of investors led by Access Industries and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board will acquire Calpine for $15.25 per share in cash, or $5.6 billion. The purchase price represents an approximately 51% premium to Calpine’s unaffected share price of $10.07 on May 9, 2017, the day prior to initial media speculation of a transaction. The transaction follows a competitive strategic review process and was unanimously approved by Calpine’s Board of Directors.
“We are very pleased to announce this proposed transaction and are confident it is in the best interests of our shareholders and stakeholders,” said Frank Cassidy, Chairman of Calpine’s Board of Directors. “This transaction is the result of an exhaustive review of strategic alternatives undertaken by our Board, with the assistance of outside advisors, to maximize shareholder value and unlock the company’s intrinsic value, while eliminating execution risk. We are confident that this is the best outcome of that review and look forward to shareholder approval.”
“We are excited to partner with Energy Capital, a leading private equity investment firm focused on North American energy infrastructure and power assets,” said Thad Hill, President and Chief Executive Officer of Calpine. “With ECP, Calpine will be able to operate as it always has – executing on our strategic objectives of providing safe and reliable power and serving our retail and wholesale customers with differentiated products and services. We will also continue to strengthen our wholesale power generation footprint, while benefiting from ECP’s support, industry expertise and long-term investment horizon. In short, Calpine will continue to be the nation’s premier competitive power company.”
Tyler Reeder, a partner at Energy Capital Partners, stated: “We look forward to joining forces with Calpine’s talented team as they continue executing their strategy. We see significant value in Calpine’s operational excellence and strong and stable cash flows and have been impressed by the Company’s exceptional leadership and talented employees. We do not expect to make any changes to the way Calpine operates its business and intend to remain focused on providing the high level of service to which Calpine’s wholesale and retail customers have become accustomed. Finally, we do not intend to make any changes to the Company’s financial policy or previously announced $2.7 billion deleveraging plan.”
Calpine will maintain its corporate headquarters in Houston, Texas with the current management team expected to remain in place.
“Go-Shop” Period
The agreement includes a 45-day “go-shop” period, during which Calpine, with the assistance of its legal and financial advisors, can actively solicit, evaluate and potentially enter into negotiations with parties that offer superior alternative proposals. The agreement provides for the payment of a termination fee by Calpine of $142 million to the investor consortium in the event that the agreement is terminated for a superior proposal; except that the termination fee will be $65 million if Calpine terminates the agreement for a superior proposal from certain exempted persons prior to 12:01 a.m., Eastern time, on the 106th day after the date of the agreement. There can be no assurance that this process will result in a superior proposal. Calpinedoes not intend to disclose developments during this process unless and until its Board has made a decision with respect to any potential superior proposal.
Stockholder and Regulatory Approval
The proposed transaction is subject to approval by stockholders representing a majority of outstanding shares of common stock of Calpine. In addition, the transaction is subject to expiration or termination of any applicable waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act. Other necessary regulatory filings include Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), New York Public Service Commission (NYPSC), the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) and other states, as necessary.
The parties currently expect the transaction to close in the first quarter of 2018.
Investor Consortium Funding
Along with Energy Capital Partners, the investor consortium is led by Access Industries and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board. An entity wholly owned and controlled by ECP and its consortium will fund 100% of the equity required to consummate the transaction. The transaction is not subject to a financing condition. Calpine expects both Standard and Poor’s and Moody’s Investors Service to affirm Calpine’s credit ratings.
Financial and Legal Advisors
Lazard is serving as financial advisor and White & Case LLP as legal advisor to Calpine. Barclays Capital Inc. is serving as financial advisor and Latham & Watkins LLP as legal advisor to Energy Capital Partners.
About Calpine
Calpine Corporation is America’s largest generator of electricity from natural gas and geothermal resources with operations in competitive power markets. Our fleet of 80 power plants in operation or under construction represents approximately 26,000 megawatts of generation capacity. Through wholesale power operations and our retail businesses Calpine Energy Solutions and Champion Energy, we serve customers in 25 states, Canada and Mexico. Our clean, efficient, modern and flexible fleet uses advanced technologies to generate power in a low-carbon and environmentally responsible manner. We are uniquely positioned to benefit from the secular trends affecting our industry, including the abundant and affordable supply of clean natural gas, environmental regulation, aging power generation infrastructure and the increasing need for dispatchable power plants to successfully integrate intermittent renewables into the grid. Please visit www.calpine.com to learn more about how Calpine is creating power for a sustainable future.
Calpine’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2017, has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and is available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
About Energy Capital Partners
Energy Capital Partners is a private equity and credit investment firm with over $13 billion in capital commitments. The firm focuses on investing in the traditional and renewable power generation, midstream oil and gas, electric transmission, environmental infrastructure and related energy services sectors of North America’s energy infrastructure. For more information, visit www.ecpartners.com.
About Access Industries
Access Industries is a privately held, U.S.-based industrial group with global strategic investments. Founded in 1986 by Len Blavatnik, an American entrepreneur and philanthropist, the group is headquartered in New York, with offices in London and Moscow. Access invests in industries where it can maximize long-term value by developing regional and global leaders. Its industrial focus spans four key sectors: natural resources and chemicals; media and telecommunications; real estate and hospitality; and venture capital. For more information, visit www.accessindustries.com.
About Canada Pension Plan Investment Board
Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) is a professional investment management organization that invests the funds not needed by the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) to pay current benefits on behalf of 20 million contributors and beneficiaries. In order to build a diversified portfolio of CPP assets, CPPIB invests in public equities, private equities, real estate, infrastructure and fixed income instruments. Headquartered in Toronto, with offices in Hong Kong, London, Luxembourg, Mumbai, New York City, São Paulo and Sydney, CPPIB is governed and managed independently of the Canada Pension Plan and at arm’s length from governments. At June 30, 2017, the CPP Fund totaled C$326.5 billion. For more information about CPPIB, please visit www.cppib.com or follow us on LinkedIn or Twitter.
U.S. Geothermal Inc. Reports Second Quarter 2017 Results and Reaffirms 2017 Guidance
Highlights
- Nineteenth consecutive quarter of positive Cash Flow from Operations and EBITDA
- Submitted proposal for San Emidio II to RFP with NV Energy on July 6, 2017
- Submitted proposal for Geysers to RFO for Renewable Energy Supplies with San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) on July 26, 2017
- Completed the deepening of three additional wells and planning for flow testing at San Emidio II
- Commenced engineering for the Neal Hot Springs hybrid cooling system and preparing for water well testing
- Continued detailed engineering on the WGP Geysers project
BOISE, Idaho, Aug. 10, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — U.S. Geothermal Inc. (the “Company”) (NYSE American:HTM), a leading and profitable renewable energy company focused on the development, production, and sale of electricity from geothermal energy, announced today its financial and operating results for the second quarter of 2017, ended June 30, 2017, reaffirmed guidance for 2017, and highlighted notable achievements in the first six months of 2017. This earnings release should be read in conjunction with US Geothermal’s financial statements, and management’s discussion and analysis (“MD&A”), which are available on the Company’s website at www.usgeothermal.com and have been posted at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission website at www.sec.gov.
For more: http://www.usgeothermal.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=1037006
Ormat Technologies Reports 2017 Second Quarter Earnings
Total Revenues increased 12% and Net income attributable to the company’s shareholders increased 44% Company Reiterates Full-Year Guidance
RENO, Nev. August 3, 2017 – Ormat Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: ORA) today announced financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2017.
Second Quarter 2017 Highlights and Recent Developments:
- Total revenues of $179.4 million, up 12.2% compared to the second quarter of 2016:
o Electricity segment revenues of $111.8 million, up 7.5% compared to the second quarter of 2016, mainly due to higher performance of our Puna plant as well as the consolidation of our Bouillante power plant in Guadeloupe;
o Product segment revenues of $67.6 million, up 21.0% compared to the second quarter of 2016;
- Electricity generation increased 2.4%, compared to the second quarter of 2017, from 1.30 million MWh to 1.33 million MWh;
- Gross margin was 39.3% of total revenues compared to 41.2% in the second quarter of 2016, due to lower margins in the product segment; Electricity segment margin increased to 41.5% from 40.2%;
- Operating income increased 2.4% to $53.2 million compared to $51.9 million in the second quarter of 2016;
- Net income attributable to the company’s shareholders of $35.0 million, or $0.69 per diluted share, compared to $24.3 million, or $0.49 per diluted share, in the second quarter of 2016;
- Adjusted net income attributable to the company’s shareholders of $29.5 million, or $0.58 per diluted share, compared to $24.3 million, or $0.49 per diluted share, in the second quarter of 2016;
- Adjusted EBITDA of $88.1 million, up 8.5% compared to $81.2 million in the second quarter of 2016;
- Declared a quarterly dividend of $0.08 per share for the second quarter of 2017;
- Product segment backlog remains strong at $192.0 million(2); added approximately $50.0 million of new orders;
- Executed a new portfolio power purchase agreement (portfolio PPA) with Southern California Public Power Authority (SCPPA), under which SCPPA will purchase 150MW of power generated by a portfolio of Ormat’s new and existing geothermal power plants beginning in the fourth quarter of 2017 at a fixed price of $75.50 per MWh; and
- ORIX acquired 22% ownership stake in Ormat and the previously reported Commercial Cooperation Agreement entered into by Ormat and ORIX is now effective.
“Continued growth in our electricity segment and a strong quarter for our products segment enabled us to deliver 12.2% top-line growth in the second quarter,” commented Isaac Angel, Chief Executive Officer. “Our focus on streamlining our entire value chain over the past three years enabled us to increase electricity segment gross margin to 41.5% and to grow our Adjusted EBITDA by 8.5%, demonstrating the strength of our business.”
“During the second quarter we signed the new portfolio PPA with SCPPA. This portfolio PPA will enable both the development of multiple new projects as well as the sustainable operation of several of our existing geothermal power plants. With the SCPPA portfolio PPA in place, Ormat is well positioned for consistent growth in the US. Another recent noteworthy development is that with the closing of ORIX’s acquisition of an approximately 22% ownership stake in Ormat, the Commercial Cooperation Agreement that Ormat and ORIX executed in connection with that acquisition became effective last week, and we expect that it will expand our business opportunities in Asia and other key geographies and may also improve our access to capital,” added Mr. Angel.
For More: http://www.ormat.com/news/latest-items/ormat-technologies-reports-2017-second-quarter-earnings
Empower Energies Completes 14.5MW Solar Project for CYRQ Energy
FREDERICK, Md., Aug. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — Empower Energies, Inc., a leading clean energy development and financing company, announces the completion of the Patua solar power project, a 14.5MW DC solar array in Churchill County, UT. The project supplements an existing geothermal power plant owned by CYRQ Energy, a Salt Lake City based renewable energy company.
Empower advised CYRQ on the development and design of the Patua solar project, including the selection of the solar equipment, which included approximately 45,360 photovoltaic (PV) solar panels, and the EPC for the construction and commissioning of the project. As construction manager, Empower’s development and operations team assisted CYRQ with optimizing the design of the project, overseeing supply chain management issues, and managing the project construction schedule with the EPC. The project was completed at the end of July, ahead of schedule and under budget.
“We were very impressed with the expertise and support we received from Empower Energies in working with our team on the design and completion of this critical project,” said Nick Goodman, CEO of CYRQ Energy. “We look forward to continuing to work with Empower on other solar projects to support our geothermal activities in the U.S.”
“The Patua project is a prime example of the strength of Empower’s flexible business model in the clean energy industry,” said John Clapp, President and CFO of Empower Energies. “We are able to deploy our development and operations teams to deliver high quality solar and related clean energy projects throughout the U.S. for customers whether they intend to own the project themselves, like CYRQ Energy, or seek third party financing through our DG Fund.”
Empower has recently hired several leading industry professionals to its business development and operations team to meet the growing demand from its core commercial, industrial and institutional clients for solar, solar and storage, solar and reroof, and virtual PPA projects throughout the U.S.
For more information, visit empowerenergies.com or contact Empower at: (240) 490-4200.
About Empower Energies Empower Energies is a full service clean energy development and financing company, working directly with customers on project development and delivery. Empower also leverages its DG Fund for committed third party capital and tax equity to support its own PPA projects or those acquired from other developers, EPCs, and related project sources. Empower is actively seeking new customers and solar project acquisition opportunities as well as talented professionals in sales, finance and operations.
About CYRQ Headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, Cyrq is a renewable energy company with geothermal interests in both generating and/or supplying energy to California, New Mexico, Utah, Oregon, Nevada and Indonesia.
ElectraTherm’s New Manufacturing Facility and Enhanced Test Cell Complete
Integration with BITZER Group on Plan
ElectraTherm, the leader in distributed waste heat to power, announces the completion of its 50,000 square foot manufacturing plant and R&D test center in Flowery Branch, Georgia. The new building has equipment in place, established flow lines, a commissioned test cell and is ready for full production of ElectraTherm’s Power+ Generators. These developments follow the 2016 acquisition of ElectraTherm by BITZER, the world’s largest independent manufacturer of refrigeration compressors.
To expedite the integration of ElectraTherm into the BITZER US campus and transition its production facility from Reno, Nev., ElectraTherm transitioned engineering and production support to Georgia following the acquisition. With the completion of the new facility, ElectraTherm has production and testing capability in place to continue its commitment towards innovative waste heat to power technology. The new research and development center will provide the engineering team with the most advanced testing and optimization equipment as the company continues to create markets within the growing waste heat to power segment.
ElectraTherm’s Power+ Generator uses Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) technology to capture waste heat and convert it to clean electricity. Hot water is the only fuel consumed by the Power+. The waste heat is used to produce a high-pressure vapor that expands through ElectraTherm’s twin screw power block, spinning an electric generator to produce fuel-free, emission-free power to be consumed on site or exported to the grid. After spinning the expander, the vapor is condensed back into liquid through a liquid loop radiator. The Power+ produces power from an unutilized resource, increases site efficiency and can also reduce site cooling loads.
ElectraTherm’s Power+ Generator™ utilizes waste heat on applications such as internal combustion engines, biomass boilers, flare gas (at oil & gas wells, wastewater treatment plants and landfills), geothermal/co-produced fluids, and more. ElectraTherm’s Power+ fleet exceeds 50 machines in operation in 11 countries and has surpassed 740,000 hours of runtime.
About ElectraTherm, Inc.
ElectraTherm, Inc. by BITZER group, focuses on waste heat to power and is headquartered in the USA. ElectraTherm generates fuel-free, emission-free power from low temperature waste heat using the Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) and patented technology. For more information on ElectraTherm and its clean energy products, please visit http://www.electratherm.com. To learn more about BITZER and its advanced refrigeration and compression technologies, visit http://www.bitzer.de/us.
Announcing Request for Qualifications (RFQ): California’s Fourth Climate Change Assessment
Deadline for Submittal is 3 p.m. PDT, Friday, September 1, 2017
HIGH-LEVEL EXPERT ON THE SCIENCE, POLICY AND PRACTICE OF CLIMATE ADAPTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE¬¬ DEVELOPMENT
BECI is looking for a high-level expert on the science, policy and practice of climate adaptation and infrastructure development to assist the State of California develop, manage, and facilitate the Climate Safe Infrastructure Working Group and lead the group in producing a Final Report of their findings to the Strategic Growth Council and the Legislature.
Instructions for Submission of RFQ Response:
RFQ Response must be submitted via email as a single PDF file. The deadline for submissions is 3 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time on Friday, September 1. The email address for submissions is cca@beci.berkeley.edu. Earlier submission is encouraged to avoid potential last minute issues with transmittal.
Required information for consideration:
- Curriculum Vitae
- Short (1 – 6 pages) statement of interest, relevant experience, and description of how the proponent would manage the Working Group and implement each required task
- Proposed rate for services
RFQ is attached with further details and available directly from BECI’s website here.
USTDA Accepting Proposals for Energy Projects in Africa
ARLINGTON, Va. – The U.S. Trade and Development Agency announced today a call for initial proposals from project sponsors in sub-Saharan Africa or U.S. companies working with African project sponsors. These entities are invited to submit an initial concept paper (not to exceed five pages) on energy-related projects to USTDA no later than Monday, September 25, 2017 at 5:00pm Eastern Time to be considered for funding.
The proposal should include a brief description of the project’s size and status, including project location, economic fundamentals, equipment and technology requirements, legal and regulatory considerations, and the purpose and amount of USTDA funding requested. The proposal should also outline the sponsor’s experience, potential options for financing the project, risks that the project faces, and estimated potential for U.S. content in the project’s implementation. USTDA’s full proposal guidelines are available on its website.
USTDA projects are assessed for viability, including proven technologies, as well as their social and environmental impact. USTDA funding is open to private and public beneficiaries on a 100 percent grant basis.
USTDA is an implementing agency of both the Power Africa and U.S.-Africa Clean Energy Finance programs, which seek to increase access to electrical power and support private sector investments in African clean energy infrastructure. USTDA’s investments under these programs provide critical early-stage support to advance new power generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure.
To get further information and begin the proposal process, please contact PowerAfrica@ustda.gov.
Request for Proposals: Geothermal Drilling Training for the Office Djiboutien de Developpement de l’Energie Geothermique
OPPORTUNITY OPEN DATES:
August 28, 2017 – September 15, 2017
BACKGROUND:
The U.S.-East Africa Geothermal Partnership (EAGP) is a public-private partnership between the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Geothermal Energy Association (GEA), implemented by the U.S. Energy Association (USEA). It was established in September 2012 to promote the development of geothermal energy projects and increase private sector investments in geothermal in East Africa. It also encourages and facilitates the involvement of the U.S. geothermal industry in the region.
EAGP is part of Power Africa. One of the goals of Power Africa is doubling access to power in sub-Saharan Africa in five years. Power Africa uses a wide range of U.S. government tools to support investment in Africa’s energy sector. From policy and regulatory best practices, to prefeasibility studies and capacity building, to long-term financing, insurance, guarantees, credit enhancements and technical assistance, Power Africa provides coordinated support to help African partners expand their electricity generation capacity and access. With an estimated 15,000 MW of potential geothermal capacity in East Africa – a clean, reliable, baseload power solution – geothermal energy is critical to East Africa’s economic development especially as a base-load power source.
To establish a cleaner, more affordable and reliable power system the Government of Djibouti has been focusing on geothermal energy to provide an inexpensive baseload source of electricity. To support the Government’s objectives, the United States Government (USG), through Power Africa, has been collaborating with the private sector and other development finance institutions (DFIs) to accelerate the development of Djibouti’s geothermal resources.
The Office Djiboutien de Développement de l’Energie Géothermique (ODDEG) was established in 2014 as the geothermal government entity working directly under the Presidency. The organization’s mandate is to serve as the country’s geothermal exploration and development group. As a young entity building the capacity of the organization’s staff is essential to the team’s long-term success. Currently the staff has limited field experience in geothermal drilling engineering. Therefore, there is an immediate need for trainers to lead a geothermal drilling engineering course in Djibouti for ODDEG’s engineers.
This consultancy, funded by Power Africa through the U.S.-East Africa Geothermal Partnership (EAGP) aims to build the capacity of ODDEG’s engineering staff to efficiently and effectively manage their drilling activities. The Consultant(s) will: 1) Produce an agenda and training material for a single five (5) day geothermal drilling training program for ODDEG 2) Travel to Djibouti, Djibouti for five (5) working days to deliver the training program to ODDEG staff 3) Administer a pre-training and post-training survey to measure trainees’ progress; and 4) Deliver a post-training report to EAGP summarizing the training program and outcomes for the trainees.
PROJECT TASKS AND DELIVERABLES
The Consultant(s) will carry out with the following:
Task 1: Preparation and Delivery of an Agenda/Course Outline and Training Materials for a Five (5) Day Training Course on Geothermal Drilling Engineering.
Prior to travel to Djibouti, the Consultant(s) will liaise with EAGP management to develop a course outline/agenda for the training program and the corresponding training materials. In coordination with EAGP and USAID/Djibouti, the Consultant(s) will communicate with ODDEG to determine the dates for the training program.
The core focus of the presentations should be an overview of key concepts in geothermal drilling engineering. The Consultant(s) shall cover the following topics, and may propose additional topics:
An Introduction to Geothermal Drilling Engineering
Well Design
Casing Design
Well Planning
Rigs and Equipment
Drilling Fluids
Cementing
Well Control
Drilling Tools
Directional Drilling
Drilling Program and Cost Estimating
Deliverables for Task 1:
Any draft-version digital files or physical handouts to be presented as part of the training program should be submitted to USEA/EAGP no later than one week prior to the start of the training program.
Task 2: Delivery of Training Course
The Consultant(s) will travel to Djibouti to deliver the training module to ODDEG staff. EAGP staff will be responsible for planning travel, lodging and in-country transportation logistics. The Consultant(s) will be responsible for delivering the course to ODDEG staff.
Following completion of the training program, the Consultant(s) shall submit one report that summarizes major outcomes from the training program, challenges encountered, and progress/knowledge gained by participants. The report should include a summary of the pre-training and post-training surveys administered by the Consultant(s). The report will be marked “Confidential” and will not be distributed by the Consultant(s) without the express permission of ODDEG and/or USEA/EAGP. The report will include the following sections:
- The Consultant(s) name, company affiliation, position within the company and contact email
- Brief summary of the training program delivered to ODDEG
- Summary of the pre-training and post-training surveys administered
- Identification of challenges facing ODDEG staff in completing the training
- Recommendations for additional training and technical assistance, as appropriate
Deliverables for Task 2:
Final materials presented in the training should be submitted to USEA/EAGP no later than one week after the training program.
The Consultant(s) shall turn in a draft version of the confidential report described above for review by USEA/EAGP no later than two weeks following the completion of the in-country assignment. After USEA has returned any comments or questions, the Consultant(s) shall prepare a final draft of the assessment report to be submitted to USEA/EAGP no later than one week following the receipt of USEA’s edits. In addition to the report, the Consultant(s) should provide to USEA the participant list from the training and the results of the pre-training and post-training survey.
DESIRED COMPETENCIES, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE
- A team that comprises experts with advanced degrees in Engineering, Petroleum Engineering, Project Management, Geology, Geochemistry, Geoscience, Geophysics, or a related field
- Minimum of eight (8) years of professional experience in geothermal project development, business management, strategic planning, organizational change management, drilling engineering or related fields
- Knowledge of East Africa’s geothermal stakeholders, development history, and potential for growth
- Understanding of geothermal drilling engineering
- Excellent communication, analytical and writing skills
- Ability to work independently and with a variety of organizations
- Ability to travel for this assignment internationally
EVALUATION CRITERIA AND CONTRACT MANAGEMENT/OVERSIGHT
Evaluation of proposals will be conducted by a stakeholder review team on a Quality and Cost-Based Selection (QCBS) basis with a Cost weight of 30% and Quality weight of 70%. Contract management, oversight and payment will be carried out by the United States Energy Association (USEA).
CONTRACT TYPE
This contract will be awarded as a fixed price contract, which shall only include labor, as USEA will directly cover costs associated with travel.
PROPOSAL SUBMISSION
Proposals should be submitted by email in PDF form to Ms. Ashley Ndir at andir@usea.org. Proposals should be in PDF in a single file.
DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION
Proposals must be submitted no later than 5:00 PM PDT on September 15th, 2017.
DOCUMENTS TO INCLUDE WHEN SUBMITTING A PROPOSAL
Applicants must submit the following:
- Letter of Interest explaining the qualifications of the Applicant
- Technical proposal outlining the proposed work plan and methodology. This proposal should include a narrative detailing the qualifications and roles of any team members, how each objective of the consultancy will be met, an estimated timeline for the delivery of services, proposed deliverables, any necessary international travel and the location of work carried out.
- CV(s) including past experience in similar projects and demonstrating a minimum of eight (8) years of professional experience in a relevant field.
- Financial proposal detailing anticipated cost of services to complete the consultancy aligned with the work plan in the proposal, including, but not limited to:
o Labor, fringe and overhead
o Equipment, supplies and communications
QUESTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS
For any questions or clarifications about this consultancy, please contact Ms. Ashley Ndir at andir@usea.org. Please submit questions prior to 5:00pm September 4th, 2017. All questions and answers shall be made public on the USEA website on September 6th, so that all interested parties are fully informed.
100 Major Companies Have Officially Pledged to Switch to 100% Renewable Electricity
Climate Reality Project., August 3, 2017 https://cleantechnica.com/2017/08/03/100-major-companies-officially-pledged-switch-100-renewable-electricity
Since 2014, the #RE100 initiative has been working behind the scenes with businesses and organizations of all sizes and sectors to negotiate transitions to 100 percent renewable electricity. The reason is simple: shift to 100 percent renewable electricity and you massively reduce the amount of carbon pollution you produce as a company. The initiative has seen a steady stream of successes as companies that have committed to the pledge include Coca-Cola, Apple, IKEA, Google, Starbucks, and Walmart. But on July 10, something big happened as #RE100 announced that 100 companies had officially pledged to transition to renewable electricity. 100 major companies that millions rely on every day transitioning to 100 percent renewables – and succeeding – sends a signal that the shift to a clean energy economy is truly on and proves to other companies and organizations that they can make the switch as well.
Geothermal to Help Ensure Grid Runs Smoothly in California During Solar Eclipse: Geothermal Resources Council, August 2, 2017 http://geothermalresourcescouncil.blogspot.com/2017/08/usa-california-geothermal_2.html The California Public Utilities Commission notes that as the solar eclipse passes over the Pacific Northwest from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. PT on August 21, it will affect solar resources providing power to California’s grid. It is predicted to cause a loss of 4,194 megawatts of California large scale solar electricity. Accordingly, Californians are being asked to save energy during the eclipse to help reduce the strain on the state’s solar power resources. The Commission notes that the state has plenty of geothermal, wind, hydro, and natural gas to make sure the grid runs smoothly during the solar eclipse. In addition, by reducing electricity consumption, power plants will burn less fossil fuel and fewer greenhouse gasses will be emitted in California when solar energy production dips during the eclipse.
$15,000 in Scholarship Awards will be presented at the 2017 GRC Annual Meeting
Salt Lake City, USA (PRWEB) The Geothermal Resources Council (GRC), a non-profit educational association dedicated to the promotion of geothermal energy and associated technologies around the world, is pleased to announce the recipients of six GRC Scholarship Awards.
The selection was based upon a variety of factors, including the individual’s academic record, student activities, geothermal industry experience, and career goals.
The scholarships, totaling $15,000, will be presented at the GRC Annual Meeting, to be held in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, from October 1 – 4.
The winner of the GRC Student Project Award ($4,500) is Emma McConnville (University of Nevada – Reno). The three winners of the GRC Graduate Scholarship Awards ($2,500 each) are Jon Golla (University of New Mexico), Steven Sewell (Victoria University) and Daniel “Burke” Brunson (University of North Dakota). Finally, the two winners of the GRC Undergraduate Scholarship Awards ($1,500 each) are Travis Broadhurst (University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill) and John Grill (Montana Tech of the University of Montana).
The GRC Annual Meeting & GEA GeoExpo+ is the industry’s largest annual gathering of leading geothermal energy scientists, producers, renewable energy industry stakeholders, regulators, utilities, and key associated business leaders. The four-day event will offer technical, policy, and market conference sessions, educational seminars, tours of local geothermal and renewable energy projects, and numerous networking opportunities.
Registration to the GRC Annual Meeting is now open and includes entry to the GEA Expo. Hotel room reservations can now be made on the GRC website at http://www.geothermal.org. A discounted room rate is available until September 5, so early reservations are recommended.
For more information about the GRC Annual Meeting & GEA GeoExpo+ in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, visit http://www.geothermal.org or call (530) 758-2360.
For information on how to sponsor this event, contact Estela Smith, GRC at (530) 758-2360 or grc(at)geothermal(dot)org.
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2017/08/prweb14612315.htm
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Thai Luxe Enterprises, through a power subsidiary is pushing small-scale geothermal development with investment into small binary geothermal power plants in Oita Prefecture, Japan.
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