Hydrothermal commercialization baseline for state of Wyoming

Wyoming does have numerous hot springs; but there has been little development effort in geothermal energy, since the state's primary interests are in coal, gas and oil. The hot springs of Thermopolis are among the largest in the world. Recent data from the central portion of the state indicate the potential for electric power generation from geothermal energy. Oil and gas wells (about 70,000) have been drilled in the state and some have geothermal waters that can be utilized for direct applications. The Madison Aquifer extends into the northeastern quadrant of the state and offers considerable potential for geothermal energy. Leasing activity is very limited. Geothermal legislation is basically non-existent, but the State Engineer has the responsibility for protecting the thermal springs. This handbook provides a synopsis of various aspects of the geothermal program in Wyoming. The section on Basic State Data (Section 2) lists government personnel (both legislative and executive branches) who are most directly involved with geothermal development. Some basic demographic data are also included. The various hydrothermal resources and the pertinent geology are summarized in Section 3. Activities (ranging from leases to operational systems) that lead to commercialization are described in Section 4. Plans for various developments are summarized in Section 5, while government assistance to Wyoming projects is list4ed in Section 6. The section on energy use patterns (Section 7) summarizes existing energy use and identifies counties and industries likely to be impacted most by geothermal energy. The section on leasing and permitting policies (Section 8) deals with legal and institutional considerations and includes a time table of institutional procedures for a typical resource to show the interrelationships among various organizations involved in development and regulation of the resource