Deseret News | Feds opening 197 million acres of public lands for geothermal development

Reader comments
Feds opening 197 million acres of public lands for geothermal development

Matomand | 12:37 p.m. Oct. 22, 2008

Why are we sitting idly by while the Bush Administration continues to rape the land. Is the Government running a bordello? Is it willing to prostitute our precious wildlands for little bit of spare change?

We have to stop this. Zion is a National Park for a reason, and I thought that these lands were protected!

Idahoan | 12:50 p.m. Oct. 22, 2008

Good.

Stewart | 12:54 p.m. Oct. 22, 2008

I suppose that includes the necessary roads and transmission lines in these areas??

Comments continue below

Thinkin' Man | 1:19 p.m. Oct. 22, 2008

Geothermal energy is governed by the real estate maxim: it's location, location, location.

Water or steam hot enough to generate electricity efficiently is a rare phenomenon that occurs in few, highly site-specific locations. Opening millions of acres is not the key, location is.

Hopefully we'll be able to find suitable locations in the opened acres. If not, would the government and special interest groups go along with pursuit of geothermal energy in, say, the fringes of Yellowstone? After all, it's clean, renewable energy and is badly needed. Hmmm.

Anonymous | 1:53 p.m. Oct. 22, 2008

Um does this mean that my electric bill will go down ... or will I continue to pay even more?

C.W. | 2:01 p.m. Oct. 22, 2008

Anybody taking wagers as to how soon the environmentalists will file the first lawsuit? Maybe the Obama administration will just do away with ALL new energy exploration altogether! That would certainly take the pressure off the continual stream of lawsuits the environmentalists file, but then what would all those staff attorneys do?

We can just rub our hands together to stay warm!

To - Matomand | 2:36 p.m. Oct. 22, 2008

What are you talking about? You think they are going to destroy the land including the beautiful national park of Zion. You sound like a paranoid person, I'm sorry. We are a very responsible people when it comes to not poluting and destroying our beautiful land, stop fear mongering!

Michael | 3:24 p.m. Oct. 22, 2008

I favor geothermal as one of the key elements of clean, renewable energy. It could be developed to provide at least 15% of our nation's electricity.

However, that doesn't mean we can fully develop it everywhere that has geothermal potential. The article says Zion National Park would be affected, but it doesn't explain how. I am not aware of any thermal features in Zion, though there is at least one hot springs outside the park.

Yellowstone is more problamatic. Developing near geysers has destroyed these thermal features in other parts of the world. It would not be acceptable to destroy Old Faithful, Steamboat Hot Springs, Norris Geyser Basin, Shoeshone Geyser Basin, etc in order to produce electricity.

However, there are many places in the west (including the Salt LAke Valley) where underground temperatures are sufficient to produce energy. We should explore and develop where possible, but use some common sense. Hopefully, we will have some common sense (and leadership) in the Whitehouse after January 20, 2009.

Hey CW | 3:34 p.m. Oct. 22, 2008

It seems to me that about two years ago
"1) Consumer confidence stood at a 2 1/2 year high;
2) Regular gasoline sold for $2.19 a gallon;
3) the unemployment rate was 4.5%.
4) the DOW JONES hit a record high--14,000 +
5) American's were buying new cars,taking cruises, vacations overseas, living large!...

But American's wanted 'CHANGE'! So, in 2006 they voted in a new Congress and yes--we got 'CHANGE' all right. In the PAST YEAR:
1) Consumer confidence has plummeted;
2) Gasoline is now over $3 a gallon;
3) Unemployment is up to 5.5% (a 10% increase);
4) Americans have seen their home equity drop by $12
TRILLION DOLLARS and prices still dropping;
5) 1% of American homes are in foreclosure.
6) THE DOW is probing another low~~

REMEMBER THE PRESIDENT HAS NO CONTROL OVER ANY OF THESE ISSUES, ONLY CONGRESS.

NOW THE DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT CLAIMS HE IS GOING TO REALLY GIVE US CHANGE--ALONG WITH CONGRESS!!

JUST HOW MUCH MORE 'CHANGE' DO YOU THINK YOU CAN STAND?"

Watch What the Environmentalists do. They will object and sue and scream. I wonder who they are working for?

Tuffy Parker | 3:55 p.m. Oct. 22, 2008

Does anyone else see the irony in what the enviro-whackos are saying? Geothermal = low impact renewable energy. If it takes a couple of roads and some powerlines, so what? You all talk about keeping hundreds of millions of acres in pristine wilderness. News flash ï¿½ this was ALL pristine wilderness before we (including you) came along. You all express concern about Zion National Park. If we hadnï¿½t put a couple roads in your pristine wilderness to get there, the only way you could see it is to buy a postcard.

As soon as you all stop driving your cars, shut off the power to your homes and dig an outhouse in your back yard, Iï¿½ll give some credence to your rants about no additional development of wild-lands.

Iï¿½m all for taking care of our environment and our limited natural resources but as long as mankind needs/wants/uses the earthï¿½s resources to live, we have to have reasonable and prudent access.

basinboy56 | 3:59 p.m. Oct. 22, 2008

The enviros want us to move away from fossil fuels, now it's sounding like they are preparing to litigate development of one of the renewable alternatives; geothermal. Guess they have to keep their lawyers busy so they can keep asking their sheep for funds! Wake up people and stop contributing to these obstructionists!

Anonymous | 4:54 p.m. Oct. 22, 2008

To Basinboy 56: I am all for geothermal development, but when President Bush has his hand in anything, I will always question it. Also, I will continue to contribute money to groups that oppose his reckless environmental policies.

By the way, what people do you want me to wake up?

somba | 5:23 p.m. Oct. 22, 2008

I love Tuffy Parker. I wish you would run for congress you have my vote!!!!!!!!

THE DOOMS SAYER | 5:34 p.m. Oct. 22, 2008

It's already too late...for this state ..some places have huge dumps by them already..an airial photo says it all. the dinosaur is going to come back around and get us anyway!

Extremists | 5:37 p.m. Oct. 22, 2008

Even though environmentalists tout geothermal energy as "sustainable", I'm guessing these extremists will oppose actually developing any geothermal power plants, because using electricity is not "sustainable".

Duh | 5:41 p.m. Oct. 22, 2008

"Public Lands" that "Feds are opening up" ? ? ? don't sound like "public lands" to me.

John | 6:00 p.m. Oct. 22, 2008

Liberal nut jobs don't want energy solutions anywhere, anytime or anyplace.
They prefer everybody drive around in clown cars and freeze in the winter.
Pelosi, Ried and the other twisted enviro freaks of the democrat leadership are already openly talking about shutting down ANY new exploration if they have the votes after the election.

Phil | 6:47 p.m. Oct. 22, 2008

I really doubt there are any really great spots to drill on these lands. Hey if razertech wants to invest money in this direction in Utah, go for it. I hope they get rich, to help decrease e every bodies power bills.

Augustus | 9:59 p.m. Oct. 22, 2008

Look at the geo work that has been done by a company named Razor. Ticker is RZ.

The reason they are opeining up all of that acreage is that the feds do not know where the better spost to drill. If it is not opened up, why would anyone explore for the hot spots?

The green nutters are going to be shown as simply anti human. Geo is a great technology. No pollution of any sort. And it produces 24 hours a day. The wind power whacks the birds and is not available unless the wind blows. The back up systems have to be about the same as if they were used full time anyway. Same with solar. No sunshine, no electricity.

Geo works and RZ has a low temp technology that does not require the very high heat sources. Others have different implementations of the geo operations. power costs are pretty reasonable compared to the other alt energy schemes. Pretty competitive with newly built coal plants. Greenies want electric cars - where will the power come from? Maybe they can get a version of a treadmill generator. It will help keep granny young I guess

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