The Sagebrush Cooperative

Geothermal resources overlap much of the sage steppe habitat within the scope of the Sagebrush Cooperative.  Areas of particularly high development potential are primarily located throughout the central and eastern regions of Oregon and western Idaho. For decades, hydrothermal reservoirs have been used in Oregon for direct heating applications in residences, municipal buildings, businesses and community facilities, bathing and spa facilities, commercial greenhouses, fish farms, snow-melting, and agricultural processing (US Department of Energy). New direct heat projects are continually being proposed and the potential to generate electricity from geothermal energy is also being pursued in Oregon as promising hydrothermal resources have been identified at several sites. Geothermal leases for the Crump Geyser site, located in the Warner Valley in south-central Oregon, have been secured by a private developer. The potential for power production at Crump Geyser has been estimated at 85 megawatts — enough to supply approximately 85,000 typical households. Other resource areas that may hold significant potential for power plant development in sage steppe habitat are Malheur River, and Vale, Oregon (US Department of Energy). 

The popularity  and awareness of renewable energy sources such as wind and geothermal have been increasing over the last decade as concerns over the emission of greenhouse gases associated with traditional forms of energy development, dwindling supplies of oil and dependence on foreign oil imports have increased. However, despite the benefits of renewable energy, the sensitivity of sage steppe habitat to the disturbances associated with these developments should be considered.  Like gas, oil, and wind energy development, geothermal development has the potential to discourage occupancy by sage-grouse and fracture habitat into patch sizes unsuitable for sage steppe obligate wildlife species.  Potential problems unique to geothermal development include ground subsidence and changes to hydrological connectivity.  For instance, the endangered Borax Lake chub, a fish endemic to a hot spring in southeastern Oregon, is dependent upon the rare aquatic conditions of Borax Lake.  Geothermal development adjacent to the Lake could potentially cause fluctuations in the temperature or water level of the lake, rendering it unsuitable for the fish.

U.S. Department of Energy. GeoPowering the West.  http://www1.eere.energy.gov/geothermal/gpw/about.html