This final report describes the findings and conclusions of the New Mexico Team during the first project year of the Southwest Regional Geothermal Development Operations Research Project. The purpose of this project is to help realize a goal of the USDOE, Division of Geothermal Energy (DOE/DGE), to accelerate the actual commercial utilization of geothermal energy. This was done by: (1) identifying the potential for development of geothermal energy in the five-state regions of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada and Utah; and (2) identifying the actions needed to accomplish that development.

This final report describes the findings and conclusions of the New Mexico Team during the first project year of the Southwest Regional Geothermal Development Operations Research Project. The purpose of this project is to help realize a goal of the U.S. Department of Energy, Division of Geothermal Energy (DOE/DGE), "to accelerate the actual commercial utilization of geothermal energy." This was done by: 1) Identifying the potential for development of geothermal energy in the five-state regions of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada and Utah; and, 2) Identifying the actions needed to accomplish that development. Funding was provided to the prime contractor, the New Mexico Energy Institute, by the DOE/DGE, assisted by the Four Corners Regional Commission and the New Mexico Energy and Minerals Department (formerly Energy Resources Board). Each state arranged for a subcontractor. In New Mexico the subcontractor is the New Mexico Energy and Minerals Department, with its staff members comprising the State Team. The team is led by Thomas A. Ortiz, Director of the Energy Resources Development Division in the New Mexico Energy and Minerals Department. Working with Mr. Ortiz are the energy consultants of the division: Dennis Fedor and Gary Carlson and also the staff members of the Mining & Minerals Division/EMD, Kay Hatton and Wes Horner. The latter three have, in part, assisted in different phases of the project. The state team has contacted federal, state and local government entities involved in geothermal energy development including legislative bodies, universities, utilities, both national laboratories of Sandia and LASL, and members of the general public. Geothermal developers and academic researchers in the state were contacted in order to determine the extent of speculative projections and development plans for any of the potential geothermal resource areas. Numerous field trips were made to ascertain the degree of geothermal potential and activity. These included BLM inspection trips to Socorro and Radium Springs and investigations of the San Ysidro, Jemez Springs and Soda Dam thermal areas. This project has stimulated much interest and planning in many sectors of the state. Some state agencies including the Energy and Minerals Department have initiated effort to create legal, institutional and economic inducements in state energy policies and plans in order to stimulate geothermal development. The state team was responsible for drawing up the state policies for geothermal energy in the State Energy Plan. A number of recommendations have been made in the State Energy Plan which include income tax credit for geothermal systems (outfitting and retrofitting) and a public awareness outreach program. Other accomplishments were: state position paper for the National Governor's Energy Production Conference held in February; reviewed and responded to the Bureau of Land Management's environmental assessment report on geothermal leasing in the Silver City area; reviewed and responded to BLM's inquiry for an EAR in the Ojo Caliente area. The state team and EMD has given support to PNM/Union Oil proposal for DOE funding through the geothermal demonstration plant program. It also is supporting the geothermal depletion allowance in the National Energy Plan. The state team has participated in promoting interest in and reviewing the state research and development geothermal programs. The number of these programs have increased noticeably during the past six months.

The Southwest Regional Geothermal Operations/Research project was initiated to investigate geothermal development in the five states within the region: Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. Although the region changed during the first year to include Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming, the project objectives and procedures remained unchanged. The project was funded by the DOE/DGE and the Four Corners Regional Commission with participation by the New Mexico Energy Resources Board. The study was coordinated by the New Mexico Energy Institute at New Mexico State University, acting through a 'Core Team'. A 'state' team, assigned by the states, conducted the project within each state. This report details most of the findings of the first year's efforts by the Utah Operations/Research team. It is a conscientious effort to report the findings and activities of the Utah team, either explicitly or by reference. The results are neither comprehensive nor final, and should be regarded as preliminary efforts to much of what the Operations/Research project was envisioned to accomplish. In some cases the report is probably too detailed, in other cases too vague; hopefully, however, the material in the report, combined with the Appendices, will be able to serve as source material for others interested in geothermal development in Utah.

A summary report is given of the information, data, and results presented by New Mexico Energy Institute and the five State Teams in their separate draft reports. The objective is to develop scenarios for the development of each identified geothermal resource area in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah. Included are an overview; an economic analysis; institutitional procedures, contraints, and incentives; location of geothermal resources in the southwest; geothermal development postulations, state by state; and recommended actions for promoting and accelerating geothermal development. (MHR).