BEND, Ore. — The U.S. Department of Energy is considering a site in Oregon’s Deschutes County for a national geothermal research lab.
The land near Newberry Volcano is leased by Seattle-based geothermal firm AltaRock Energy Inc., which performs testing there. It’s one of several locations under consideration for the proposed Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy.
“We feel pretty confident,” AltaRock Spokesman David Stowe told The Bulletin. But he acknowledged “the competition is pretty stiff,” with Idaho, Nevada, California and Utah sites in the running.
Supporters say of the Newberry site say the facility would bring temporary construction jobs, academic opportunities and an economic boost for local communities.
The DOE lab would serve as a research site for scientists and engineers to develop and test new technologies for harnessing geothermal energy. Researchers believe that tapping into up to 2 percent of the geothermal energy potential in the West could power the nation.
Geothermal technology wouldn’t contribute to greenhouse gas emissions and could operate consistently, unlike intermittent solar and wind-powered resources.
Three potential lab sites will advance to the next round and split about $30 million in Energy Department funding for planning and permitting before the DOE chooses a final site.
AltaRock has conducted enhanced geothermal testing at Newberry and partners say they have the only site on the side of an active volcano.
