(BRK.A), (BRK.B)
Plans have been scrapped for a major geothermal power plant that was expected to be built by Berkshire Hathaway Energy.
The Black Rock Geothermal Power Project was scheduled to be built on the shores of the Salton Sea in California, but BHE subsidiary CalEnergy has requested that California Energy Commission terminate the license for the project.
The much-delayed project was first approved fourteen years ago, and received extensions of the construction start deadline in 2007, 2011 and 2014.
The Black Rock plant would have generated 159-megawatts of electricity, but high-startup costs and environmental concerns have limited the development of geothermal energy.
Among the concerns are that geothermal power plants can in some situations cause earthquakes.
© 2017 David Mazor
Disclosure: David Mazor is a freelance writer focusing on Berkshire Hathaway. The author is long in Berkshire Hathaway, and this article is not a recommendation on whether to buy or sell the stock. The information contained in this article should not be construed as personalized or individualized investment advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.