Geothermal power plant near Austin next McGinness Hills phase

CARSON CITY, Nev. — Energy company ORNI 41 — a subsidiary of Ormat Nevada, Inc. — has applied to the Nevada Public Utilities Commission for permission to build a geothermal power plant 10 miles north of Austin.

The McGinness Hills III project would include a 62-megawatt electric power plant built next to two existing 48 MW generating stations.

Austin is located about 2 hours east of Fallon, off Interstate 80.

Along with the new power plant, the company is proposing a 230-kilovolt power line to connect it to the grid.

The plant, like the first two phases of the McGinness Hills project, would be built on BLM land. The company has already filed its applications with the federal government and BLM previously approved the location for a geothermal facility.

The new plant will require drilling five near production wells and two injection wells. The injection wells will be on private property leased to ORNI/Ormat. It will include about 15 acres of land altogether.

Construction will take 9-10 months, officials said.

“Once grading is completed, no natural resources will be necessary for the operation of the project. Because McGinness III will be an air-cooled power plant, no water (or other natural resources) will be necessary for the operation of McGinness III,” the project plan filed with the PUC states.