1. GEOTHERMAL ECONOMIC IMPACT
James C. Witcher
Southwest Technology Development Institute
NEW MEXICO STATE UNIVERSITY
Las Cruces, NM
GEOTHERMAL CORE DRILLING, MCGREGOR RANGE, NEW MEXICO

2. GEOTHERMAL DIRECT-USE
GREENHOUSES
INDUSTRIAL USES
AQUACULTURE
SPACE/DISTRICT HEATING
Plate and Frame Heat Exchanger SWTDI/NMSU Business Incubator Greenhouse, Las Cruces, New Mexico

3. GEOTHERMAL GREENHOUSING

4. GEOTHERMAL AQUACULTURE
GEOTHERMAL TALAPIA FARM NEAR HYDER, ARIZONA

5. GEOTHERMAL IS AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TOOL IN RURAL AREAS
SUMMARY OF WHOLESALE CASH RECIEPTS
$$$$$$
Pump testing AmeriCulture 1 State well, Animas Valley, New Mexico

6. GEOTHERMAL POWER CASH FLOW
$0.045 kW/hr cost (wholesale)
8,760 hrs/yr
~$394 thousand per MW/yr

7. 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)

8. DEVELOPMENT INFRASTRUCTURE
PRODUCTION WELLS
INJECTION WELLS
HEAT EXCHANGERS
PIPE LINES
Drilling Masson 36 well, Radium Springs, New Mexico

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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.