In a surprising move, Black Rock Geothermal LLC, an an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of BHE Renewables, has requested that the California Energy Commission temporarily suspend the permitting process for its three 77-megawatt geothermal power plant projects in the Salton Sea Known Geothermal Resource Area. The decision, announced this week, highlights the ongoing regulatory and economic hurdles facing renewable energy development in California. The project, formally known as the Black Rock Geothermal Project (BRGP), was developed in response to California’s ambitious Mid-Term Reliability Decision, which requires utilities to procure 1,000 megawatts (MW) of firm, weather-independent renewable energy by 2026. 

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