| Abstract |
Imperial County is estimated to have a potential geothermal energy resource of 10,000 to 20,000 megawatts of electricity, of which 4,500 MW appears feasible for development with present technology in the next forty years. Imperial County, under NSF/ERDA Grant AER75-08793, contracted with UCR and Cal Tech for research covering the areas of: (a) resource assessment, (b) engineering, (c) geography, (d) social, (e) economic, and (f) political and legal implications of geothermal development. This summary reports the findings. Imperial County has been the site of active geothermal exploration and development by oil and utility companies for the past decade. Test wells have been flowing and measured in the Heber, Brawley, East Mesa, and Salton sea areas. Faced with imminent development and the need for a Geothermal Planning Element for its general plan, Imperial County sought support from the National Science Foundation to develop research upon which to base its development policies and regulations. The results of this inter disciplinary study are reported in the several sections with follow. |