Workers at U.S. Geothermal Inc.’s Raft River power plant in Southern Idaho monitor flows from one of the plant’s hot water wells. The plant is Idaho’s first commercial geothermal power plant.

BOISE – Idaho’s in hot water – and that could be good for the state’s schools.

There’s been a run on geothermal leases on state lands – 80 applications in the past month and a half – and now Idaho’s retooling its geothermal lease rules in hopes of eventually making millions for schools, the main beneficiary of earnings from the state’s endowment lands.

Two North Idaho lawmakers laid the groundwork for this two years ago with legislation to promote all kinds of alternate energy development on state endowment lands, from wind on the plains to biomass in the forests. Full story. Betsy Z.  Russell, Spokesman Review

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