Reid Announces Nevada A Finalist For New Geothermal Lab And Funding
Nevada Senator Harry Reid announced today that Nevada has received $2.1 million in the first phase of a competition to host the Department of Energy’s new Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal laboratory.
The FORGE laboratory, which would be dedicated to research in the next generation of geothermal energy technology, could be located in Fallon, Nev. Subject to any future restrictions in appropriation bills, this laboratory could receive up to $30 million in funding from the Department of Energy and perhaps tens of millions more.
The Nevada team is being led by Sandia National Laboratories, and includes the University of Nevada-Reno, Ormat Technologies, Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory, and the U.S. Navy. Earlier this year, Senator Reid worked with the Navy and several Nevada stakeholders to move this project forward.
“Nevada is the perfect location for the Department of Energy’s new geothermal laboratory. The nation’s lab for advancing geothermal belongs in Nevada; it would further establish Nevada as a leader in renewable energy,” said Senator Reid.
“It is important this research in Enhanced Geothermal Systems – the next generation of geothermal technology – takes place in the Silver State. For decades, Nevada has been the epicenter of geothermal energy in the United States. This lab will continue Nevada’s history of turning our geothermal resources into jobs and economic growth. Nevada can lead the nation and the world in this new technology and help to expand the scale and benefits of geothermal energy all across the country.”