$125M (32-48 MW) geothermal plant planned in Elko County (Nevada)

$125M geothermal plant planned in Elko County

Associated Press - November 30, 2007 6:45 PM ET

ELKO, Nev. (AP) - Plans are under way to build a $125 Million geothermal plant in Elko County north of Tuscarora.

The Hot Sulpher Springs Geothermal Power Plant would be the first such plant in the county. The developer says it would produce an estimated 32 to 48 megawatts of electricity - enough to serve as many as 30,000 homes.

It marks the second announcement this month of the intention to build an alternative energy power plant in northeast Nevada. Sierra Pacific Resources and Renewable Energy Systems Americas Inc. says it is working on an agreement to jointly develop and operate a large wind-energy project in Elko County and southern Idaho.

The final developer for the geothermal project is TG Power LLC of Trussville, Alabama. The Elko Daily Free Press says it has a contract to provide much of the electricity to Nevada Power, who will resell it to Sierra Pacific.

The project is located on 15,000 acres, largely on land leased from the Ellison Ranching Company's Spanish Ranch. But TG Power says it will utilize only about 3,000 acres of that to start.