ACEP At Work – Pilgrim Hot Springs Geothermal Assessment Project Update

Aug. 26, 2013

ACEP is entering a new phase with our geothermal project at Pilgrim Hot Springs. Preliminary results show that the geothermal resource at Pilgrim Hot Springs has the potential to generate two to four megawatts of electricity.  This finding and its future potential for the community has interested a private energy developer, Pilgrim Geothermal LLC, who would like to develop the resource and transmit power to Nome should it be shown capable of generating at least 2MW of power.   ACEP, in partnership with the US Department of Energy and local community and native organizations have collaborated to drill an exploratory well this fall to confirm this resource.

With the mobilization for the 2013 drilling program at Pilgrim Hot Springs underway, ACEP will begin daily updates on the project through October. ACEP Project Coordinator Chris Pike recently left to oversee the project, spending the next 6 weeks in the field to ensure everything goes well for the contractors, land owners and users of the springs.  At this time, the camp is under development and road upgrades have been completed to the Unaatuq property gate. The drill pad is being prepared, and we expect to move the drill rig and associated equipment to the site soon, with a planned drilling date (if all goes well) of August 30^th.

A summarized schedule of activities were found at: www.uaf.edu/acep/projects/pilgrim-hot-springs-geoth/

To receive the daily updates contact Max Frey (mefrey@alaska.edu).