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Show energy by passing the geothermal geo-thermal fluid from high tern -perature and pressure users to the lower temperature and pressure users. One such complex has been studied by DOE. The study recommended rec-ommended that the city of Susan ville heat 17 buildings build-ings with geothermal energy and provide these geothermal geother-mal fluids to an industrial park that would house a 5 acre greenhouse and meat processing facility. The benefits to Susanville would be a reduction on its heating heat-ing bill by 70 with 8-10 percent return on the investment in-vestment of 2 million dollars. dol-lars. If integrated with the industrial park, the rate of return was increased to 20 with a seven year payback. Presently in Utah, other communities are considering consider-ing development of the geothermal geo-thermal resources in their areas. Many of these com -munities have sought and received funding from both Federal and State sources. In accordance with the agreement, ag-reement, FB&DU has arrived ar-rived at an estimate of the cost of acquiringtheUP&L's facilities In Beaver County. Admitting there are still a few unknowns, Ford, Bacon Ba-con and Davis, Utah, Inc. reported to Beaver County that they had completed the feasibility study on geothermal geother-mal power, and are convinced convin-ced that the county and muni -cipalities of Beaver, Milford and Minersville should join together under the interlocal in-terlocal agreement act and get involved In local geothermal geo-thermal activity with an eye toward providing municipal power, heating, and perhaps attracting related industry that could use heat from the geothermal source. Analysis of the pertinent economic indicators for the State of Utah reveal that Beaver County is In an economic eco-nomic decline. Population estimates project ajcounty population of 4,300 a condition of zero growth. In contrast, the' Five County community that Beaver County belongs to has a collective col-lective population growth rate of 4 to 5. The population popu-lation estimate trends for the economics of Beaver County and the Five County community are verified by the decrease of new housing hous-ing starts and new vehicle sales In Beaver County. uuring tne last live years the agricultural labor force, which is the largest single labor unit In Beaver County, has been fluctuating by 20. This phase depends heavily on the availability of water for irrigation and com -Irrigation and competitively competi-tively priced electric energy en-ergy for commercial and-agricultural and-agricultural needsl Procurement Pro-curement of new water is presently limited by tne State of Utah to the western areas of the County. 50 of the electric energy consumption con-sumption in the County is for irrigation pumping. The use of the geothermal geother-mal steam can be divided into three categories: (1) electric energy generation; (2) steam produced potable water; (3) low temperature heating. The use of geo-thermally geo-thermally produced electricity elec-tricity for irrigation pumping pump-ing would significantly reduce the amount of electric elec-tric energy purchased from outside the county. Geothermal Geo-thermal steam would have to be purchased at an economically eco-nomically advantageous price before it could be used as a resource. By operating the generating plant as a direct fluid contact process, clean steam is produced by reducing the pressure over the hot geothermal water, substantial amounts of potable pot-able water would be produced. pro-duced. This water could be used to supplement the County. Use of this byproduct by-product irrigation water in agricultural operations upstream on the Beaver River Ri-ver from the geothermal reservoir area could result in a new source of recharge water. Low tern -perature energy generation, could be used for residential residen-tial and light commercial heating and cooling needs. This might create another expansion for the county revenue rev-enue base. Year round generation would permit per-mit balanced plant operation. op-eration. Timely development of Roosevelt Hot Springs, known Geothermal Resource Area (KGRA) and other similar si-milar geothermal sites would have a positive effect ef-fect on Beaver County. The primary result would be to increase the revenue rev-enue base through direct sales of geothermal energy from electricity generation gener-ation and low temperature heating. Secondary benefits bene-fits would be from the abil ity for the county to supply sup-ply competitive electric energy en-ergy and water for new industrial, in-dustrial, commercial and agricultural expansion. A publicly owned electric elec-tric utility in Beaver County could stabilize or at least minimize future rate increases. in-creases. This may provide pro-vide the encouragement necessary nec-essary to help bring new industry to the area. For example, the availability avail-ability of reasonably priced electric power and low pressure pres-sure steam might encourage the development of the Wah Wah Valley. Since the production pro-duction of phosphate fertilizer fer-tilizer would be a by-product of such an operation, Beaver County would, benefit bene-fit as an agricultural community. com-munity. The non electric uses of geothermal energy that apply to Beaver County are in the areas of agriculture, mineral min-eral processing, residential and commercial heating. Development of a geothermal resource with electric and non electric uses is best served by means of a complex com-plex of geothermal energy users, utilizing the full potential po-tential of the geothermal power from a 20 mW plant at Roosevelt Hot Springs. The use of geothermal energy en-ergy is not new. There is a long history of its use for purposes other than power generation. The Romans I used it, their mineral baths were filled from springs for thermal and medicinal value. val-ue. Its use for power generation gen-eration first occurred in Lardello, Italy In 1904. Now they are world wide. A review of the geological, and geocheroical , geophysical data and test Information of the existing wells at Roosevelt Ro-osevelt was done. The quality and quanitity of the fluid available represents UP&L has declined to provide pro-vide data on the original cost of its facilities in Beaver Bea-ver County. In the absence of this essential data it is estimated that the original cost, less depreciation, of the facilities is in the order of $4,500,000. It has been determined that the energy requirements of Beaver County could be more than sufficiently met by geothermal geother-mal power generation from the Roosevelt Hot Springs KGRA. Legislation submitted to the 1979 session of the Utah legislature to enable the counties such as Beaver to own and operate electrical facilities did not pass. For the purpose of this report, it is assumed that the legislation leg-islation will be passed next session. As an alternative the cities of Beaver, Milford and Minersville could take comparable action on a joint basis under the existing legislation. leg-islation. UP&L has a pending pend-ing application before the FERC to renew the license for the Upper Beaver power plant and to abandon the Lower Beaver Plant. It is understood that UP&L has conducted a detailed de-tailed cost study for reconstructing recon-structing the dam, penstock and other facilities associated associa-ted with the Lower Beaver Plant. They have concluded conclud-ed from their viewpoint that the expense could not be justified. Accordingly, it is not recommended that Beaver Bea-ver attempt to reactivate the Lower Beaver River Hydro Hy-dro plant. If Beaver County concludes con-cludes that it should acquire a share in a power plant constructed at the Roosevelt Roose-velt Hot Springs, KGRA, of sufficient capacity to meet the power requirements in the County, it should also consider the acquisition of the UP&L facilities in Beaver Bea-ver County. This would enable en-able it to serve to the residents resi-dents of the county and sell surplus power to other utilities. ut-ilities. The existing UP&L 46 kV transmission line passes pas-ses through the KGRA. That line would likely need upgrading up-grading to 138 kV to carry a significant potential source of energy for both power generation and non power usages. The FB&DU report says; 1. The County of Beaver or in the alternative, the cities of Beaver County should consider notifying the US OS and the parties named in the Phillips application that they are interested in purchasing a share in the ownership of the geothermal power plant and to obtain the right to use the geothermal energy for residential, com -merclal and industrial application appli-cation in and aroundMllford. 2. As an alternative, they should consider conferring with Intermountain Consumers Con-sumers Power Association (ICPA) for the purpose of having them negotiate the purchase of shares in the ownership of the plant for Beaver and various interested interest-ed members of ICPA. It is estimated that the power requirements of Beaver County are in the order of 8.5 mW. It would be noted, that while a 20 mW plant would be a significant source of power to Beaver and other members of ICPA, It would be a negligible source of power to large utilities such as UP&L and the City of Burbank PublicServicesDe-partment. PublicServicesDe-partment. The interest or participation of larger utilities util-ities in a small sized plant would assure their participation partici-pation in a subsequently constructed con-structed larger plant if experience ex-perience in the operation of the 20 mW warrants such ac. tion. Accordingly arrangements arrange-ments for the sale of the generated gen-erated power locally would (Continued on Page 2) ' m i 1 Vi' : . i ' :tezr il 'z . J. ? 'i 0C , tSZrtr-.t ' ' " ." .. - ' - . r- f': "..-, ; -J LANDMARK RAZED: Murdock's Texaco was razed to make room for their new grocery store to be built soon. The station and grocery were built in 1936, according to Chase Murdock, who has operated the store and station over that span. Chases son, Roger, will build and operate the new store, and the old store will be torn down to provide parking space. HERE'S MORE ABOUT GEOTMERMAL minimize the need for negotiations nego-tiations to transmit power elsewhere. 3. Many communities have obtained grants from DOE for studying the economic feasibility of the use of geo-thermal geo-thermal resources for non-power non-power uses. There are a number of such uses in Beaver Bea-ver County for residential, agricultural, commercial and industrial purposes. It is, therefore, recommended that Beaver County or specifically the City of Milford Mil-ford apply to DOE for such a grant. ' ' 4. The crops grown near Milford and Beaver are an important part of the economy of Beaver County. Of particular concern is the rising cost of power for operating the irrigation sys -terns. Presently UP&L and USU Agricultural Extension are testingpumpingefficien-cies testingpumpingefficien-cies in Beaver County. To date the studies are incom -plete, but prospects are good that the study will provide constructive suggestions which will help to reduce pumping costs. 5. It is also recommended that Beaver County employ the services of a consultant to study the Phillips application appli-cation and participate in any hearings or the preparation of formal filings with the USGS. This would include RUBBER STAMPS, signs, name plates and pins, stamp pads, door signs, Laminated plastic in contrasting colors or metal. met-al. At the COUNTY NEWS in Milford, 387-2881. any proposed participation In the ownership of the plant and would include non geo-thermal geo-thermal use. Even If no ownership is planned, par- i tlcipation Is desirable for Beaver to protect its interests in-terests . This is particularly true with respect to the proposed pro-posed price for steam sold to the utility operating the power plant. If this price Is such that the cost of power to Beaver would be cheaper than conventional fuel sources, the construction con-struction and operation of the plant would obviously be an economic advantage to the residents of Beaver. |