New Mexico Geological Society Annual Spring Meeting — Abstracts

Significant economic growth has occurred in the last decade with commercial direct-use geothermal development. More than half of New Mexico's greenhouse acreage is heated with geothermal and this represents the largest acreage of geothermally-heated greenhouses in the Nation. Small-scale, geothermal electrical power generation (0.5 MWe) and geothermal aquaculture complements the greenhouse use of geothermal energy. Altogether, the geothermal greenhouses provide more than 400 jobs with a payroll that is estimated to exceed $6 million. These geothermal greenhouses have annual gross receipts in excess of $30 million. In terms of cash flow, this economic development represents the equivalent of more than 60 MWe of geothermal electrical power development with comparatively greater energy savings and job creation. In the agriculture sector economy, geothermal greenhousing ranks in the top ten. The Burgett Geothermal Greenhouse at Cotton City and the Masson Radium Springs Farm represent the largest employers in Hidalgo County and northern Dona Ana County, respectively.

While greenhousing is the largest direct-use geothermal application, the NMSU main campus is one of the larger geothermal district heating systems in the Nation. The spas at Truth or Consequences, Jemez Springs, Ojo Caliente, Gila Hot Springs, and Faywood Hot Springs provide very important vehicles for the local tourism and spin offs to the local economy.

During the last decade, resource assessment activities by SWTDI/NMSU have included more than 3,800 m of slim-hole core exploration drilling, several SP and dipole-dipole resistivity surveys, more than 100 temperature gradient measurements, detailed 1:6,000 scale geologic
mapping of 25 km² of alteration and structure, geochemical studies of rock, minerals, and water, and development of a new radon soil-gas technique. Several areas have been identified with potential for resources capable of combined direct-use geothermal and binary electrical power generation. All of these prime prospects are currently being pursued for development by thirdparty, industry geothennalleaseholders or owners. Alphabetically, some of these areas include Hillsboro, Rincon, and San Diego Mountain.