A proposed geothermal energy project on California's Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) was the topic of the day when Western Region Public Policy Director Chris Unkel and a team of energy experts met recently with key allies who have been promoting the project.

Unkel; Ron Cole, Klamath Basin National Refuges manager; Mike Noonan, owner of ENTIV Organic energy and Noonan Farms; Michael Mugerwa, Technip USA's program director of renewable; and Doug Badger, managing partner of Thomas Public Affairs, met with members of Sen. Dianne Feinstein's (CA) staff to explain how the innovative project will benefit the Basin's regional population, reduce the cost of refuge operations and add a new energy resource to the mix. The team also met with New Island Capital Management and Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E).

The overview of the project is that hot water wells, discovered on the refuge in 2001, could provide low-cost electricity, saving the refuge up to $1 million annually in power costs.

Key points of the briefings included:

• Agricultural wastewater is available to the refuge, but it's unobtainable without electricity; the solution is to tap into the underground geothermal wells and convert the hot water to electricity
• A small geothermal energy plant on the refuge could meet more than half of the refuge's power needs and resolve the refuge's chronic water shortage
• The environmental permits have been obtained and studies on the amount of energy that could be produced are moving forward

The Lower Klamath NWR is part of the Southern Oregon Eastern California (SONEC) region, which provides critical foraging and resting habitat for tens of thousands of Pacific Flyway waterfowl during annual migrations.