Montana Senator Jon Tester recently extended an invitation to a delegation of business and government officials from Iceland to visit his state. The group has planned to visit Montana next month in order to assess the possibility of geothermal power in the region.
Senator Tester co-sponsored a bill on geothermal energy later this year. As part of the National Geothermal Initiative Act of 2007, experts were brought before the Senate Energy Committee to consider the possibility of using geothermal power, like Iceland. Expert testimony contributed to the country setting a goal to use geothermal resources to power at least 20 per cent of the energy needs in the US by 2030.
Tester is enthusiastic about geothermal energy coming to Montana. “This will bring more jobs, money and a stronger economy to Montana using a clean, reliable and abundant energy resource. And it will continue to keep Montana at the forefront of America’s energy development,” he said.
The delegation from Iceland, a country which is widely considered the world’s leader in geothermal energy use, will be comprised of seven business and government officials. They are expected to meet the senator and officials from the Governor’s office on October 20th, then visit a possible site for geothermal energy development the following day.