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In February, an appeals court dropped a case. interim injunction stopping construction on plants. An appeal is pending before the US Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and construction has resumed.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, geothermal energy is produced from hot springs below the earth’s surface, whose underground reservoirs are accessed by drilling wells thousands of feet.
Most geothermal reservoirs are in the western states, and the energy from these sources can be used to generate electricity and heat homes. According to the Department of Energy, geothermal power plants have a minimal carbon footprint, emit little or no greenhouse gas emissions, and are considered a renewable resource.
The Dixie Meadows geothermal project, run by Reno-based Ormat Technologies, has drawn the ire of conservationists, who say geothermal energy should only be developed where it’s appropriate.
Patrick Donnelly, director of the Center for Biodiversity, said the group is opposed to “geothermal energy found near groundwater-dependent ecosystems.” He said the group sent a request to the bureau requesting that construction be stopped immediately in light of the emergency declaration. He said that if the bureau doesn’t take action, the group will file a new lawsuit.
“In the Great Basin, hot springs and thermal water features are oases of biodiversity and provide water in the driest place in North America and thermal shelter in North America’s coldest desert,” Donnelly said. “So, when geothermal development is placed near hot springs in the Great Basin, it could pose an existential threat to the species that inhabit these springs.”
Ormat Technologies spokesperson Zamir Dahbash said the company has “long recognized the importance of protecting the Dixie Valley frog, whatever its legal status.”
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