wenator doug whitsett award for geothermal advocacy 121314

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Sen. Doug Whitsett receives award for geothermal advocacy

The Oregon Rural Electrical Cooperative Association (ORECA) presented Sen. Doug Whitsett (R-Klamath Falls) with its Statesman Award for his strong advocacy of a geothermal project in Paisley, according to a press release.

The project was done through the Surprise Valley Electrification Corporation (SVEC), and has the capacity to generate more than 3 megawatts of electricity, which is enough to supply power for between 600 and 700 homes. Whitsett was instrumental in assisting SVEC with obtaining the water permits necessary to help make the project a reality, the release said.

“When our geothermal project seemed stalled due to bureaucracy, Senator Whitsett assisted in ensuring that we could move forward,” SVEC Manager Brad Kresge said in the release. “The end result of this project will benefit Paisley and SVEC members for years to come.”

OREC Executive Director Ted Case also praised Sen. Whitsett’s work on the project.

“Surprise Valley Electrification has worked for years to create a renewable generation project that creates jobs in rural Oregon,” Case said in the release. “When it looked like the project was stalled, Senator Whitsett went to bat for his constituents to ensure that the utility was granted the necessary water permits.”

Whitsett said he was pleased to help move the project along.

“We are blessed with an abundance of geothermal energy resources, so it makes perfect sense to find ways to utilize them in a way that can create economic opportunity for rural residents,” Whitsett said in the release.

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