Idaho is working to encourage geothermal power development in the state, which ranks third in geothermal potential–behind only California and Nevada.
Current state laws restrict developlment on state-owned lands, but four bills in the state legislature aim to create a more friendly environment for investment in new geothermal power wells.
According to the New York Times, the proposed legislation would eliminate restrictions on the size of geothermal leases, reduce royalty fees and remove 10-year expiration clauses on leases.
The legislation reportedly has the support of Republican governor, C.L. "Butch" Otter and other key lawmakers.
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management estimates the Idaho has the potential to produce as much as 1,670 megawatts (MW) of geothermal power by 2025. But currently the state has only one operating geothermal power plant with a capacity of 13 MW.
Oregon Considers Energy Efficiency for Schools
Oregon’s state legislature began discussions this week on energy efficiency initiatives for schools–a concept that was central to the election of new governor, John Kitzhaber. The bills under consideration by the House Education Committee include:
- House Bill 2203 would require that new and remodeled schools be certified as LEED Silver or better by the US Green Building Council, if the construction was paid for with new state bonds.
- House Bill 2194 would allow schools to take out loans for energy efficiency upgrades and use the money saved on utility costs to pay off the debt.
- House Bill 2888 would authorize the Oregon Department of Energy to sell bonds to pay for loans and matching grants for school districts that need money to improve their facilities.
In January, Kitzhaber ordered the state’s energy department to use $2 million of leftover federal stimulus dollars to conduct energy audits on 500 schools.
California Cap-And-Trade Plan Suffers Setback
A Superior Court judge in San Francisco set back California’s cap-and-trade plans last week, ruling that the state’s Air Resources Board broke state law in adopting comprehensive plans to reduce green house gas emissions.
The judge decided that the air board approved a plan to implement the state’s climage change law (AB32) prior to completing the required environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act. In addition, he said the board failed to adequately consider alternatives to cap and trade.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, it’s not yet clear what the air board would have to do to be in compliance with the law.
Read the full story at the link below.
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