USG gets improved price and new water rights

In Idaho, U.S. Geothermal Inc. has seen a 26.5% increase in the average power price now in effect at its operating San Emidio power plant. The 3.6 MW capacity plant sells 2.5 MWs of electricity to Sierra Pacific Power Co. SPP adjusts the rate paid on an annual basis and the most recent adjustment for the period 9/1/09 through 9/1/10 led to a favorable increase. U.S. Geothermal also recently acquired 724 acre-feet of additional groundwater rights and a mothballed dehydration facility located adjacent to the site. U.S. Geothermal now owns 1,488 acre-feet of water rights that allow the use of high efficiency water cooling for a planned power plant expansion.