Pueblo probes for clean-energy sourceDec 16 - Rosalie Rayburn Albuquerque Journal, N.M.Deep beneath the russet-colored Jemez Pueblo lands lies a source of water that tribal leaders hope may be a springboard to economic-development opportunities. Testing will begin within a few weeks on water at the bottom of a 5,657-foot, recently drilled well that will show whether it is hot enough to generate electric power. Other options include using the geothermal heat for greenhouse agriculture, fish farming, heating buildings or a health spa. "These are all ideas that pueblo leadership has kicked around," said Greg Kaufman, Jemez Pueblo's director of natural resources, during a tour of the well site in late November. In a news release about the project, Jemez Gov. Vincent A. Toya Sr. said the tribe hopes to develop a resource that can "generate a revenue stream for the pueblo in a culturally compatible, environmentally friendly way." The Jemez Valley is known for hot springs that stem from ancient volcanic activity. In 2009, Jemez Pueblo landed a $4.9 million Department of Energy grant to explore ways the hot water sources could be developed for geothermal energy. The first step was to conduct a study using seismic technology that examined the formations beneath a 6-square-mile area of tribal land to a depth of 18,000 feet. Based on the study data, they decided to drill at a site east of N.M. 4, about two miles south of the pueblo. They hired Aztec Well Services to do the drilling and geothermal exploration specialist Virgil Welch as an on-site consultant. Utah-based TBA Power managed development of the survey techniques and drilling plan. Before work could begin, they had to build a road capable of supporting the 100,000-pound drill rig and 29 trucks transporting equipment to the remote site, Kaufman said. Drilling began in early fall and lasted 37 days. During that time, 30 people were working at the site day and night. TBA Power will oversee operations during the testing phase. Scientists from Los Alamos National Laboratory will examine the data to determine the temperature of the water, the rate at which it flows from underground and whether it contains salts or corrosive minerals that could be damaging to pipes, Kaufman said. If the water is sufficiently hot for power generation, the idea would be to build a plant that would capture the heat to drive a turbine. The water would then be reinjected into the ground. "You're really not doing anything but moving it (the water) around," Kaufman said. Even if the water can be used to generate power, realizing this potential will depend on being able to sell it to a utility at a rate that is competitive with electricity produced from fossil fuels. In recent years, Kaufman said, the tribe had explored building a solar power plant, using federal money intended for clean energy projects, but was unable to secure a buyer for the electricity. http://www.energycentral.com/functional/news/news_detail.cfm?did=30941836& |