Geothermal exploration funding dilemma remains unresolved

An effort initiated last February by the Pagosa Area Geothermal Power and Water Authority (PAGWAPA) to move forward on its stalled project to locate a geothermal energy resource lying deep underground in the area by securing increased assistance from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) has met limited success.

The original funding plan for the exploration project, begun in 2014, depended heavily on the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), which agreed to provide up to $4 million to fund the required drilling and scientific analysis. But funding from that agency was cut off earlier than expected last summer, at a point when substantial work remained to advance the exploration to a stage where it could yield useful results.