| Geothermal Outreach and Coordination Program |
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| Monthly Report – July 2005 |
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Program activities
Preparations for the next OGWG meeting were put on hold pending the annual Geothermal Resources Council meeting in September. It is thought that an August meeting date would be modestly attended. And our thinking is that many of the OGWG members will not attend the annual GRC meeting, so we will bring back useful information from it to share. We still plan to have a field trip in conjunction with a future meeting.
Discussions also included the value of bringing future meetings to the smaller towns in eastern Oregon with low temperature resources. Burns, LaGrande, Lakeview and Vale each have modest direct use applications operating. These include mushroom farming, greenhouses and space heating. Exploration for high temperature resources has taken place in Vale. Economic development efforts can leverage existing operations and look for project expansion rather than only new industries. Working with local economic development organizations can attract new projects based on their current focus and experience drawn from other Oregon counties.
Web site
Revisions to the ODOE website sections on geothermal are complete for now. May meeting minutes were added along with speaker presentations. The design and layout is professional. Additional meeting presentations will be added soon.
Renewable Portfolio Legislation
Legislation to implement a Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) remains before the Oregon legislature. Passage appears doubtful as the Legislature draws to a close.
Other Activities
We created a marketing piece describing incentives for geothermal power projects drawing from existing sources. It highlights economic incentives (loans, tax credits and cash contributions – that may be available to geothermal developers. A draft is attached.
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