RENO - Geothermal energy is a renewable alternative to fossil fuels and Nevada has the potential to become a national leader in its production, Sen. Harry Reid predicted.
''In California, 6 percent of all electricity is generated by geothermal energy. We here in Nevada have much more potential than they do,'' he said at a geothermal conference Thursday at the University of Nevada, Reno.
''We are insecure because we have to import more than half our oil from foreign countries,'' he said. ''Think what we could do in research and other programs if we didn't have to import all this foreign oil.''
Thursday's conference attracted some 125 businesspeople, scientists and federal and regional government officials to hear presentations and discuss ways to tap the vast geothermal resources in Nevada and throughout the West.
''The United States should be the world's leader in geothermal energy use and Nevada should be the nation's leader in producing this non-polluting source of power,'' Reid said.
Dan Reicher, assistant secretary of energy, said California is the No. 1 producer of geothermal-powered energy at 2,500 megawatts of the 2,800 megawatts produced nationwide, but Nevada has the potential to generate at least that much.
That amount of power would serve about half of Nevada, said Dan Schochet, an executive with Ormat International, a geothermal producer in Sparks.
Reid, D-Nev., praised Energy Secretary Bill Richardson for launching January's Geopowering the West initiative with $4.8 million in research grants for developing the power source in California, Nevada, Utah, Texas and North Dakota.
Its goal is to have 7.5 percent of the western states' energy needs provided by geothermal energy by the year 2010, increasing to 10 percent by 2020.
''This is the first time the secretary of energy has made a commitment to geothermal,'' Reid said. ''Alternative energy sources are recognized by the government as something we feel is very important.''
Reid and Reicher said educating energy producers that they don't have to rely solely on coal and oil to power their generators and to persuade Congress to encourage geothermal research and development through tax incentives were necessary.
They said wind energy production has exceeded that of geothermal because the industry gets better tax breaks.
''What we're interested in at this stage is not legislation. It's money,'' Reid said.
Reicher said that along with generating power, geothermal heat already is being used in the production of dried garlic and onions, and gypsum-based substances such as cat litter and oil absorbents.
Schochet said technology is allowing power generation with lower temperatures of geothermal steam than in the past.
Reid said the successful advance of geothermal energy depended on cooperation on two fronts.
''Members of the environmental community must join forces with energy providers to help promote geothermal power and there must be cooperation between those who want to explore for geothermal energy on federal land and those who manage these areas in Nevada and across the West.''
Such cooperation would help speed the permitting process, the senator said.
''Together, we can turn this dream into a reality while improving the future for our children and grandchildren,'' he said.
