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MINERSVILLE, Utah (AP) -- Utah's first geothermal plant in 23 years is under construction.
Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch and other VIPs will be ferried to the groundbreaking Friday, about 15 miles west of Minersville in Beaver County.
Raser Technologies of Provo has a business plan remarkable for its modest ambitions. Using off-the-shelf technology, it is tapping underground thermal water at a low boil and turning the steam into energy.
The company plans to build a string of 10-megawatt plants throughout the West, including two others under construction in Nevada and New Mexico. Ten megawatts is enough to keep about 7,000 houses continuously powered.
Raser has yet to earn any significant revenue but has lined up 56 investors that hold 16 percent of the company's stock. Utah has two geothermal power plants, both in Beaver County.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
