CALGARY, ALBERTA--(Marketwire - Sept. 8, 2010) - Enbridge Inc. (TSX:ENB) (NYSE:ENB) announced today that it has entered into an agreement with U.S. Geothermal Inc. of Boise, Idaho to partner in the 35-megawatt (MW) Neal Hot Springs geothermal project. Enbridge will invest up to US$23.8 million for a 20 per cent interest in the plant. U.S. Geothermal will own the remaining 80 per cent.
The Neal Hot Springs geothermal project, developed by U.S. Geothermal Inc., is located in Malheur County, Oregon. U.S. Geothermal is constructing and will operate the facility. Construction of the project is underway and an in-service date of Q2 2012 is expected. The project will deliver electricity to the Idaho Power grid under a 25-year power purchase agreement.
"Enbridge is already heavily involved in renewable and alternative energy projects through our interests in 810 megawatts of wind, solar, waste heat recovery and fuel cell projects," said Patrick D. Daniel, Enbridge President and CEO. "This investment will be our initial entry into geothermal energy, which we think has an important role to play in North America's shift toward a greener energy production mix."
"Our strategic partnership with Enbridge assures full financing for the successful construction and operation of the Neal Hot Springs geothermal project," said Daniel Kunz, President and CEO of U.S. Geothermal Inc. "We look forward to a long and successful partnership with Enbridge on this and potentially other geothermal projects in our portfolio. Upon achieving commercial operation, Neal Hot Springs will be our third operating geothermal asset and will build upon our track record of successfully developing our existing pipeline of quality resources."
Geothermal energy is renewable energy from the heat of the earth's interior. The Neal Hot Springs geothermal project will recover this energy through a binary process that involves pumping hot water from a reservoir in the earth up through production wells. From the production wells, the water will go through closed circuit heat exchangers where it will boil a refrigerant liquid that will be sent through turbines to generate electricity. The hot water will then be injected back into the underground reservoir.
"Green energy is a key component in our plan to achieve a neutral environmental footprint as we grow our operations," said Mr. Daniel. "In 2009 we committed to generating a kilowatt of renewable energy for every kilowatt of energy that our operations consume, and we are making good progress on that objective. We look forward to our relationship with U.S Geothermal and the potential that we may find further opportunities to partner together."
Neal Hot Springs Geothermal Project at a glance:
Capacity peak: about 35 MW gross, 23 MW net
Annual yield: approximately 191,400 MWh (corresponding to the annual consumption of around 17,500 households)
CO2 saving: about 375,000 tons per year when compared to the emissions generated by a similar-sized coal-fired generation facility; about 163,000 tons per year when compared to a similar-sized natural gas-fired generation facility
About Enbridge:
Enbridge Inc. is a North American leader in energy delivery and one of the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations. As a transporter of energy, Enbridge operates, in Canada and the U.S., the world's longest crude oil and liquids transportation system. The Company also has a growing involvement in the natural gas transmission and midstream businesses, and is expanding its interests in green energy technologies, including wind and solar energy projects, hybrid fuel cells and carbon dioxide sequestration. As a distributor of energy, Enbridge owns and operates Canada's largest natural gas distribution company and provides distribution services in Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and New York State. Enbridge employs almost 6,500 people, primarily in Canada and the U.S. The Company's common shares trade on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges under the symbol ENB. For more information, visit enbridge.com.
About U.S. Geothermal Inc.:
U.S. Geothermal Inc. is a leading renewable energy development company that is operating geothermal power projects at Raft River, Idaho and San Emidio, Nevada. The Neal Hot Springs project will be the company's third operating power project. The company holds geothermal energy rights to 69,500 acres comprising six advanced stage geothermal development projects. The San Emidio project is currently undergoing construction of a new 8.6 net MW binary cycle power plant.U.S. Geothermal Inc. 1505 Tyrell Lane, Boise, ID 83706 208-424-1027
www.usgeothermal.com
For Enbridge Investors
Certain information provided in this news release constitutes forward-looking statements. The words "anticipate", "expect", "project", "estimate", "forecast" and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Although Enbridge believes that these statements are based on information and assumptions which are current, reasonable and complete, these statements are necessarily subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties pertaining to operating performance, regulatory parameters, weather, economic conditions and commodity prices. You can find a discussion of those risks and uncertainties in our Canadian securities filings and American SEC filings. While Enbridge makes these forward-looking statements in good faith, should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary significantly from those expected. Except as may be required by applicable securities laws, Enbridge assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements made herein or otherwise, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
For more information please contact:
Enbridge Inc. - Canada
Jennifer Varey
Media
(403) 508-6563 or Toll Free: 1-888-992-0997
jennifer.varey@enbridge.com
or
Enbridge Inc. - Canada
Vern Yu
Investment Community
(403) 231-3946
vern.yu@enbridge.com
or
Enbridge Inc. - U.S.
Larry Springer
Media
(713) 821-2253 / (269) 781-1509
usmedia@enbridge.com
www.enbridge.com