8/3/2009
Terra-Gen Power, LLC, ("Terra-Gen"), a wholly-owned affiliate of ArcLight Capital Partners ("ArcLight"), announced today that its Coso Geothermal Facility ("Coso") has obtained critical permits from the US Department of Interior's Bureau of Land Management ("BLM") to construct a 9 mile pipeline to recharge the existing geothermal reservoir that will allow Coso to significantly increase generation of renewable baseload power.
The BLM has granted a Record of Decision and Right-of-Way Grant to permit the project to inject supplemental water into the geothermal resource in order to stabilize and enhance the geothermal field. The water enhancement project will allow geothermal energy to serve an estimated 50,000 additional California homes. After completing an extensive environmental review process, the BLM concluded there will be no significant impacts created by the project.
Coso recently obtained a Conditional Use Permit from Inyo County following an extensive Environmental Impact Review of the project to allow for the beneficial use of water that the Coso project had obtained several years ago. Terra-Gen anticipates completing the construction of the 9 mile pipeline which will be used to deliver supplemental water to the Coso project in late 2009.
"We are grateful to the BLM for issuing these permits which will allow the Coso Geothermal Facility to continue to be a critical component of the state-wide effort to meet California's clean energy goals," said Jim Pagano, CEO of Terra-Gen. "The Coso enhancement project will stabilize and enhance output from this crucial facility, benefiting not only the local economy but also the state and nation as we seek to increase environmentally friendly power."