Over 250 Congressional and Department of Energy staffers, the Washington media, representatives from the finance and legal communities and others attended the event held at the Newseum not far from the Capital Building.
Enel North America President Toni Volpe introduced the video that describes the basic operations of the Stillwater and Salt Wells binary cycle plants and the impact the facilities are having in the local community.
In addition to panoramic views of the mountains and cattle grazing lands that surround the plants and interior shots of the facilities, the video includes interviews with Francesco Starace, President of Enel Green Power, Volpe, Bill Price, Project Execution Manager, and Gary Wick, Construction Manager.
Starace and Volpe discuss Enel’s long history with geothermal energy and the prospects for future development and investment, while Price and Wick explain plant operations.
The video also features comments from Michael Yackira, President of NV Energy, the local utility purchasing the power; Churchill County Manager Brad Geotsch and Chuck Alvey, President of the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada (EDAWN).
Both Geotsch and Alvey note the positive economic impact Stillwater and Salt Wells are having in the community. (“More than $2 million in taxes already,” according to Geotsch.)
Yukira says that “Enel’s commitment to Nevada is important as it will help us meet our Renewable Energy Portfolio requirements.”
According to NV Energy, Stillwater and Salt Wells producing at their full contract amount next year would constitute an 18-19% increase over the company’s expected 2009 portfolio credit total.
The Stillwater and Salt Wells plants were dedicated on April 15.
