GEOTHERMAL ECONOMIC IMPACT James C. Witcher Southwest Technology Development Institute NEW MEXICO STATE UNIVERSITY Las Cruces, NM GEOTHERMAL CORE DRILLING, MCGREGOR RANGE, NEW MEXICO
GEOTHERMAL DIRECT-USE GREENHOUSES INDUSTRIAL USES AQUACULTURE SPACE/DISTRICT HEATING Plate and Frame Heat Exchanger SWTDI/NMSU Business Incubator Greenhouse, Las Cruces, New Mexico
GEOTHERMAL GREENHOUSING
GEOTHERMAL AQUACULTURE GEOTHERMAL TALAPIA FARM NEAR HYDER, ARIZONA
GEOTHERMAL IS AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TOOL IN RURAL AREAS SUMMARY OF WHOLESALE CASH RECIEPTS $$$$$$ Pump testing AmeriCulture 1 State well, Animas Valley, New Mexico
GEOTHERMAL POWER CASH FLOW $0.045 kW/hr cost (wholesale) 8,760 hrs/yr ~$394 thousand per MW/yr
GEOTHERMAL GREENHOUSE CASH FLOW Annual sales of $325,000 to $850,000 per acre (wholesale) 4 to 8 employees per acre $18,900/yr energy savings per acre in southern New Mexico 4,200 MMbtu/yr at $1.50/MMbtu Natural gas $6.00/MMbtu (boiler inefficiency included)
DEVELOPMENT INFRASTRUCTURE PRODUCTION WELLS INJECTION WELLS HEAT EXCHANGERS PIPE LINES Drilling Masson 36 well, Radium Springs, New Mexico
DEVELOPMENT APPROACH Alligator aquaculture, Alamosa, Colorado RESOURCE ASSESSMENT AND RESERVOIR CONFIRMATION ENGINEERING FEASIBILITY PERMITTING BUSINESS AND MARKETING PLAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN Alligator aquaculture, Alamosa, Colorado
GEOTHERMAL GREENHOUSING NEW MEXICO LEADS THE NATION IN GEOTHERMAL GREENHOUSE ACREAGE A TOP TEN RANKING IN AGRICULTURE SECTOR ECONOMY AHEAD OF CHILE GROWTH POTENTIAL VERY HIGH PAST GROWTH SPURRED BY SWTDI/NMSU RESEARCH AND BUSINESS INCUBATOR GREENHOUSE IN LAS CRUCES
SOUTHWEST TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE AT NEW MEXICO STATE UNIVERSITY GEOTHERMAL GREENHOUSE FIVE CLIENTS SINCE 1987 – FIFTH CLIENT CURRENTLY LEASING FACILITY FOUR COMMERCIAL GREENHOUSES WITH TOTAL ACREAGE OVER 30 ACRES 18 ACRES ARE GEOTHERMALLY-HEATED ESTIMATED 270 JOBS CREATED ESTIMATED CAPITAL INVESTMENT MORE THAN $10 MILLION ESTIMATED ANNUAL SALES OVER $14 MILLION SWTDI/NMSU Business Incubator Geothermal Greenhouse Las Cruces, New Mexico
CONCLUSION Direct-use geothermal can be an economic development tool is rural areas. Successful geothermal projects require a sound business plan. A university-based business incubator coupled with technical assistance can spur successful development.