Nov 6 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Tom Beal The Arizona Daily Star, Tucson


The U.S. Department of Energy this week awarded $338 million in grants to advance development of geothermal energy -- using the heat trapped in water beneath the Earth's surface to generate electricity or heat buildings.

The Arizona Geological Survey will head up a $17.8 million project to gather information about geothermal resources from individual states and incorporate it into a national data system.

We asked Lee Allison, the Arizona state geologist and director of the survey, about geothermal energy in Arizona and the nation.

What is geothermal's potential in our future energy mix?

We could supply all our electrical needs for the entire country, indefinitely. It's a renewable resource. It's 24/7. Solar stops when the sun goes down. The wind stops blowing. And it's been very cost-competitive, one of the cheapest technologies out there.

Aren't there a limited number of hot spots?

Most of the geothermal development for electricity is coming from a few areas where they have hot springs and geysers. This program has new initiatives for enhanced geothermal systems. You can find heat that is maybe not evident at the surface, but below it. How do you drill in? Find or create fractures and bring it to surface? There are none of these operating in the world, but the potential is huge.

Does Arizona have geothermal potential?

Absolutely. In the last two months I've had more inquiries from energy groups than I've had over my career.

Do we know where to look?

We're like all the other states. The information is in filing cabinets, on paper maps, on a shelf somewhere. In general, it's the basin and range part of the state, south and southwest of the Mogollon Rim. In the Flagstaff area is the San Francisco volcanic field. It's very recent; the last eruption was in the 1300s. There ought to be a lot of hot rocks not far down. So far, they haven't been identified.

Do you need really hot water for a geothermal system?

There are ways to use moderate temperatures. People say, "Oh well, the ground is too hard and too dry; these ground-loop systems don't work here.' But they will. Albuquerque has a real boom going.

What does this nearly $18 million grant mean for your agency?

We're estimating somewhere around 85 percent going out to subcontractors and partner states. We have a project management role, technical work and web services here. We get an overhead cost. Our hope is we will be able to backfill to a significant degree. Part of the money underwrites keeping the doors open and operations running.

How much has your state budget shrunk?

Our annual budget last year was $3 million -- one-third from the state; two-thirds we raise in contracts, grants and sales of publications. Our current state budget is about $860,000. It had been $1.2 million

Then we had to do this planning exercise from the governor's office to cut 15 percent of total annual budget (in the second half of the fiscal year), which becomes 30 percent.

Contact reporter Tom Beal at 573-4158 or tbeal@azstarnet.com

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