Local opinion: Geothermal could be Arizona energy solution

MATT SOMERS

When the State of Arizona closed its geology section in downtown Tucson during the Great Recession, I happened upon a stack of free maps that were being given away. One of those maps was a geothermal map of the State of Arizona printed in 1982. The map was an eye-opener.

If the City of Tucson is truly interested in setting up its own electric company, then it would make sense to partner with Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Co-op and Graham County Electric Co-op, which serves the Safford area. Using the co-ops’ knowledge of electric generation and transmission with the City of Tucson’s Water Department’s billing and drilling experience, along with the City of Tucson’s economic size, an inter-governmental agreement would set up a not-for-profit corporation that may be able to use geothermal electric generation to compete with TEP’s kilowatt hour residential rate.

Due to the lack of huge battery storage capabilities, all-electric producers may sell excess electricity to the market. And because the new transmission line from New Mexico through Arizona has been okayed, not only could the City of Tucson then be a partner of its own electric generation but, unlike water, which cannot be sold above production costs, the excess electricity can become a cash cow for the City of Tucson and the co-ops. Since geothermal is a 24/7 possible producer of electricity, there would be no need to buy extra electric production capability that is used inefficiently for only a few hours a day during the summertime.

By using geothermal heating and cooling for the Willcox and Safford area, the price for those communities could come down as well. According to the 2017 Arcadia blog’s “16 Key Facts About Geothermal Power Plants”, geothermal rates are 4.5 to 7.3 cents per KWH, which, the blog points out, is a little higher than other renewables. But geothermal is a 24/7 source of electricity. And while the wells in the 1982 map were drilled 100-600 meters deep, and the temperatures are below the base 300 degrees Fahrenheit needed for electric generation, it would be assumable that in the 40 years since, better technology and deeper drilling would allow for geothermal electric production in those areas. With prices per KWH ever rising and reaching much higher presently in the summer afternoons, it would behoove the city to look into this.

Another factor is the declining water level at Glen Canyon Dam. In a few decades, the water level at the dam will be too low for present yearly electric generation of billions of KWHs for the western US. It is imperative that electric sources of any type be explored now so that electric rates do not rapidly raise the costs to electric customers in twenty years. With the 2051 franchise fee agreement less than 30 years away, and with the long timeline needed to build the geothermal generating plants, planning should start soon.

In the 1980s, when TEP declared bankruptcy due to mismanagement, then-councilmember George Miller suggested the City of Tucson buy TEP and form a City of Tucson Water and Power Company so as to pay the lowest prices to pump water, which weighs over 8 pounds a gallon, and save money for the water department and city residents. Of course, he was shouted down by the those who felt only capitalists should own any utility. But private business management is always more expensive than government management. (Check out private health care or private education costs versus Medicare or Public Education.) There will be a huge outcry against this plan, and Republican-led Arizona legislature will always hate government efficiency, but the idea needs to be explored. Especially now.

This 40-year-old map is the blueprint to Tucson’s energy future.