Geothermal
Beowawe Geothermal power plant- Nevada, United States
The Beowawe Geothermal Power Plant is located in Beowawe, Nevada, in the United States. It is owned and operated by Ormat Technologies, Inc., which is a leading geothermal power company.
The power plant has a total installed capacity of 30 megawatts (MW) and generates approximately 240 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electricity per year. The plant uses a binary cycle system, which is a type of geothermal power generation technology that is particularly suitable for low-temperature geothermal resources.
The binary cycle system works by using a heat exchanger to transfer heat from the geothermal fluid to a working fluid, which has a lower boiling point. The working fluid is then vaporized and used to drive a turbine, which generates electricity.
The Beowawe Geothermal Power Plant has been in operation since 1985 and has been expanded several times over the years. It provides clean, renewable energy to the local grid and helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by displacing the use of fossil fuels.
The plant also provides direct benefits to the local community, including job creation and increased tax revenue. Additionally, the use of geothermal energy helps to reduce the dependence on imported energy sources and improve energy security for the region.
History of Beowawe Geothermal power plant- Nevada, United States
The history of the Beowawe Geothermal Power Plant dates back to the mid-1970s, when geothermal exploration and development began in the region. The Beowawe geothermal resource was discovered in 1976 by Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO) during their exploration program in Nevada.
ARCO developed a pilot plant at the site in 1980, which had a capacity of 1.5 megawatts (MW). The pilot plant was used to test the geothermal resource and the binary cycle technology, which was a relatively new technology at the time.
Following the success of the pilot plant, ARCO expanded the plant to 11 MW in 1985 and sold it to Ormat Technologies, Inc. in 1989. Ormat continued to expand the plant, adding additional units in 1990, 1992, and 1995.
In 2007, Ormat began construction on a new 30 MW power plant, which replaced the existing units. The new power plant, which uses the latest binary cycle technology, was completed in 2009 and has been in operation since then.
Today, the Beowawe Geothermal Power Plant is one of the largest geothermal power plants in Nevada and provides clean, renewable energy to the local grid. Its history is a testament to the innovative spirit of the geothermal industry and its ability to develop new technologies and expand the use of geothermal resources.
Beowawe Geothermal power plant- Nevada, United States, financial and international investment
The Beowawe Geothermal Power Plant was initially developed and owned by Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO), a major American oil and gas company. In 1985, ARCO sold the plant to Ormat Technologies, Inc., which is a leading geothermal power company based in Nevada.
Ormat Technologies has invested significant capital into the Beowawe Geothermal Power Plant over the years, including the construction of a new 30 MW power plant in 2007-2009, which replaced the existing units. The company has also invested in upgrades and maintenance to ensure the plant operates efficiently and reliably.
In terms of international investment, Ormat Technologies has a global presence and has developed geothermal power plants in various countries around the world, including Kenya, Guatemala, Indonesia, and New Zealand. The company has also partnered with international investors to develop geothermal projects, such as the Sarulla Geothermal Power Plant in Indonesia, which was developed in partnership with Medco Energi Internasional, Itochu Corporation, and Kyushu Electric Power Company.
The development of geothermal power plants requires significant capital investment, and international investment can play an important role in supporting the growth of the geothermal industry. The Beowawe Geothermal Power Plant is an example of how private investment can drive the development of clean, renewable energy and support the transition to a low-carbon economy.
Beowawe Geothermal power plant, operated by
Beowawe Geothermal Power Plant is operated by Ormat Technologies, a company that specializes in the development, construction, and operation of geothermal power plants.
Ormat Technologies was founded in 1965 and has become a global leader in geothermal energy with operations in more than 30 countries. The company’s expertise includes the design, construction, and operation of geothermal power plants using a variety of technologies, including binary cycle, flash, and hybrid systems. Ormat Technologies also develops and sells power generation equipment and provides energy storage solutions.
The company is committed to providing sustainable, reliable, and affordable energy solutions to meet the world’s growing energy needs.
https://www.exaputra.com/2023/04/beowawe-geothermal-power-plant-nevada.html
Weather Guard Lightning Tech
Nordex Outsells Vestas, GE Vernova Rebuilds Wind Team
Nordex closes in on Vestas in onshore orders, GE Vernova rebuilds its wind team, Nexxis buys BladeBug, and wooden blades draw doubts.
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Weather Guard Lightning Tech
Siemens Gamesa Builds Hornsea Blades, NEMS Invests in Perth
Siemens Gamesa starts Hornsea 3 blade production in Hull, Germany approves an Offshore Wind Act amendment, and Nexxis buys BladeBUG.
The Uptime Wind Energy Podcast is brought to you by Weather Guard Lightning Tech, creators of the StrikeTape Ultra LPS retrofit. Subscribe to Uptime’s Substack newsletter. And check out Rosemary’s “Engineering with Rosie” Youtube channel. Have a question we can answer on the show? Email us!
Episode Transcript
Uptime News Flash
September 7, 2026
Happy Monday, everyone. Well, let’s talk about the biggest wind farm on earth. It doesn’t exist yet, but its blades are being built right now. Over in Hull, England, Siemens Gamesa just started making blades for Ørsted’s Hornsea 3 offshore wind farm. That’s two point nine gigawatts, one hundred and ninety-seven turbines. Each blade is longer than a football pitch. Fourteen hundred workers build blades in that factory, turning raw materials into finished product. When complete, Hornsea 3 will power more than three million British homes. It’s the single largest offshore wind farm in the world.
And if we slide over to Germany for a moment, the German cabinet just approved an amendment to the Offshore Wind Act, the WindSeeG. It’s headed to the Bundestag next. The goal? New rules by January first, twenty twenty-seven. But the Offshore Wind Energy Foundation says the draft does not go far enough. Sixteen gigawatts of awarded projects are still waiting on final investment decisions. Sixteen — that’s quite a few. The foundation wants a new way for developers to hand back sites they can’t build, so those sites can be re-tendered quickly under conditions that actually work. Sort of a use-it-or-lose-it approach. That’s the idea.
We’ll head a little further east to India. India ranks fourth in the world for installed wind power, but probably not for long. A government official said this week that India will overtake Germany and become the world’s third-largest wind energy nation by twenty thirty — one hundred seven gigawatts of installed capacity. India added a record six gigawatts last year alone, shattering their previous record of a little over four gigawatts. And twenty-eight more gigawatts are under construction right now. Impressive.
Let’s head down to Western Australia, because a company called National Electric Motor Services, NEMS for short, is building a one million dollar facility in Perth to test and repair wind turbine generators. Right now, Australian wind farm operators ship their broken generators overseas for repairs, and that takes months. NEMS is the only authorized service center for ELIN Motoren in all of Western Australia. This is the fifth project funded through Australia’s Wind Energy Manufacturing Co-investment program. Local repair, faster turnaround, and homegrown capability — that’s all good.
And staying in Australia, Perth-based Nexxis Technology just bought a British robotics company, BladeBUG. BladeBUG is a robot that uses suction cups to crawl across wind turbine blades. Nexxis already has a robot called Magneto that uses electromagnetic adhesion to climb steel structures. If you put the two together, you can inspect almost any surface on a turbine, or about anything else. Add AI and machine vision, and you have robots that can see what human eyes might miss, from places human hands shouldn’t have to reach. It’s safer, faster, and it’s going to be a lot smarter.
One more story before we finish today. Siemens Gamesa has now installed more than 300 recyclable blades in six countries. The secret is a new resin. Unlike conventional resins, this one lets you separate the blade components at end of life, so you can separate the fabric from the resin. Cool stuff. Jonas Pagh Jensen, head of sustainability at Siemens Gamesa, says the technology is ready for full-scale use. And Siemens Gamesa has already installed 36 GreenerTower units — steel towers with 63% lower carbon emissions. So although sustainability may have faded from the headlines, it’s still in tender documents, and it’s showing up more than ever. In Denmark, the Netherlands, and France, buyers are all asking about recyclability and decarbonization before they award contracts.
So what should you be watching this week? Recyclability is no longer a nice-to-have — it’s a must-have, and it’s showing up in tender scoring. If your blades can’t be recycled at end of life, you may not win the contract to begin with. And a lot of supply chains are going local. Australia doesn’t want to ship generators overseas anymore. India is building its own turbine factories. The countries buying wind power want it built at home. For professionals in the wind industry, the competitive edge is shifting — it’s not just who can build the best turbine, it’s who can build it locally, recycle it fully, and inspect it without putting a person in a harness.
A judge has ruled that New York State’s climate “superfund,” modeled after laws that provide money to clean up toxic waste, runs counter to federal law and is therefore invalid.Eventually, we will have laws that force companies whose actions are ruining the planet to pay for the remediation that must happen to avert environmental collapse. In the meanwhile, we need to expect the fossil fuel industry to continue its ruthless legal attack such legislation.
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