CEDAR CITY — How could the newest geothermal energy project impact Beaver and Millard counties?
The Bureau of Land Management approved the Rodatherm Geothermal Test Bed project in September. The project’s site is roughly 6 miles east of the Mineral Mountains and approximately 12 miles north of Milford, Landon Newell told Cedar City News. Newell works as a staff attorney with the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance.
Rodatherm Energy Corporation’s pilot project would assess the commercial viability of geothermal resources in the lease area and operate for approximately 12 months as they develop two well pads, drill five wells, test two closed geothermal loops and construct access roads.
After the project’s completion, the company may continue operating successful wells, but according to the environmental assessment, long-term production will require an additional National Environmental Policy Act analysis to assess potential environmental impacts.
Geothermal systems convert underground heat sources — hot water and steam — into mechanical energy, generating electrical power. However, Rodatherm’s Michael Dabbs told St. George News that the company uses the Organic Rankine Cycle to convert “an organic refrigerant directly to electricity, removing a substantial energy loss in binary electricity production.” Because it is a closed loop, they don’t need to inject fluids
Newell said geothermal development is similar in some ways to developing an oil and gas well, so when these projects are proposed, the alliance determines if they are in a sensitive habitat or an area with wilderness characteristics.
“What they’ve seemed to have done with this project is, from our perspective, they’ve sited it in a good location … just to the south, for example, there’s what the BLM has identified as a greater sage grouse habitat area,” he said, adding that had the project been sited in that habitat area, it would have created some problems for the alliance and other organizations that work on similar issues throughout the West.
One reason the alliance monitors geothermal projects is that the technology is newer and in its “exploration or figuring-out phase,” Newell said.
“If it can be figured out, it would be a significant step forward because it doesn’t come with the large amount of greenhouse gas emissions that traditional fossil fuel development has had,” he said. “By and large, we support this geothermal development push. It’s needed.
“This is a necessary step to transition away from traditional fossil fuels toward less polluting forms of energy development. That said, it still needs to be done thoughtfully.”
Previously, alliance Wildlands Attorney Oliver Wood spoke against geothermal lease sales in Iron, Millard and Beaver counties. He said the BLM pushed the project through without properly analyzing potential impacts.
In this case, Newell said the project’s location was more appropriate, and the BLM conducted an environmental analysis before issuing its approval.
What are the potential impacts?
The BLM’s environmental assessment process began on Dec. 12, 2022, and continued for approximately nine months, resulting in a finding of “no significant impact.” Factors considered included soils, vegetation, fish, migratory birds, special status species and invasive species, said Jacqueline Russell, public affairs specialist for the BLM Color Country District.
The 500-by-500-foot pads would occupy about 5.8 acres each, with exact dimensions modified to “best match” the site’s physical and environmental characteristics and to minimize grading.
Disturbances would include removing and dumping organic material, leveling the drilling rig site, and constructing berms — artificial ridges or embankments — around drill pad locations to reduce erosion and trap runoff, according to the environmental assessment.
Well drilling could require up to 650,000 gallons of water for various work, including daily operations, making cement and controlling dust. Soil erosion potential is expected to be low to moderate, varying slightly based on soil type and slope, and surface disturbance could increase by a cumulative 9.58%
The BLM assessed impacts to several bird species, including Cassin’s finches, pinyon jays and Rufous hummingbirds, with impacts expected to be low as the site is not located in their preferred habitats.
Impacts on sage thrashers were estimated to be moderate as the birds breed in shrub-steppe environments dominated by sagebrush, like that found in the project area. However, the presence of invasive species reportedly makes the location less suitable for them.
A total of 130 acres of crucial pronghorn antelope habitat is expected to be affected directly or indirectly due to surface disturbances, vegetation removal, and auditory and visual disturbances before and after construction that could cause the species to avoid the area, according to the assessment.
Long-term impacts could include an increased risk of vehicle-animal collisions, habitat fragmentation, migration interruptions and restricted access to water and vegetation.
“Full reclamation of the project area would be needed to avoid long-term functional habitat loss of crucial pronghorn habitat,” the assessment reads. “Reclamation of disturbed areas no longer in use should be implemented as soon as those areas cycle out of use, prior to project completion.”
Assessors noted “significant cultural resources” in the project area. They recorded three historical sites not recommended for the National Register of Historic Places. The assessment found no historic properties would be affected — a finding with which the Utah State Historic Preservation Office concurred.
Should Rodatherm uncover cultural resources, they will be left in place and work would cease so representatives can notify the BLM, according to the assessment.
“There’s always going to be resources at risk,” Newell said. “But what they did here is they actually went out and conducted a really intensive Class 3 cultural survey … a very on-the-ground survey, so that they could make sure to site the well pads away from the significant cultural resources to avoid impacts. And that is what you would hope and expect the agency to do.
“And that’s why these projects still need to get vetted and analyzed because there are significant resources on our public lands. One of the best things we have going for us is the remarkable wildlife, cultural, wild places we have. And that’s why, regardless of the type of energy they’re developing, it needs to be done thoughtfully. And I think they’ve, by and large, done that here.”
Developing geothermal energy
According to the assessment, several other approved geothermal projects are in the area, including the Bailey Mountain Geothermal Exploration Project, Utah Forge projects and the Cape Modern Geothermal Exploration Project.
Rodatherm’s project could be a “vital next step in Utah’s renewable energy journey,” BLM Cedar City Field Manager Paul Briggs said in a news release issued by the agency.
“Together, we’re pioneering a more sustainable future for all, continuing our commitment to science-based clean energy solutions and responsible land stewardship,” he said.
In 1978, geothermal was the first renewable energy source approved by the BLM for production on public lands, according to the agency’s website. There are 51 operating plants on BLM-managed lands with a total capacity of over 2.5 gigawatts.
“Ramping up renewable energy deployment on America’s public lands is a key step toward meeting the Biden-Harris Administration’s goal of a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035, as well as Congress’s direction to seek to permit at least 25 gigawatts of solar, wind and geothermal energy production on public lands no later than 2025,” BLM staff writes.
Updated Oct. 20, 6:55 p.m. to clarify the process Rodatherm uses to generate electricity.
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