NCET

The modern-day wildcatters came first, sinking drills into the hills above town, looking not for oil but for hot water.

Small, almost inconspicuous buildings followed the drilling rigs. They house turbines that hum almost without notice as they use the Earth’s heat to make electricity.

And today, a string of plants connected by a pipe made hot to the touch by scalding water stretches from the top of the hill down to a valley on the outskirts of town. Owned by geothermal power developer Ormat Nevada, the plants draw hot water from underground reservoirs to create enough electricity for a city of more than 200,000 people.

This fledgling power system goes unnoticed by tourists who drive past it to ski at Lake Tahoe, but developers of these emissions-free plants say they are the future of green energy in Nevada.

Technology to harness the Earth’s heat to make power has been used here since the 1980s. But now, geothermal companies - spurred by federal tax credits, the requirement that Nevada utilities buy and promote renewable energy and recent auctions of federal land for exploration - are working on a new generation of plants that could power nearly 1 million homes. Read full story:

Technorati Tags: Phoebe Sweet, Las Vegas Sun, Ormat Nevada, green energy, Nevada, Technology, Western Governors Association, Karl Gawell, Geothermal Energy Association, Energy Department, UNR, University of Nevada, Reno, Great Basin Center for Geothermal Energy, Sen. Harry Reid, Sierra Pacific Resources, Nevada Power Co, Tom Fair, Bureau of Land Management, NCET, Nevada?s Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology

Jim Leavitt has an inherent knack for fixing things, an aptitude that led him naturally into the automotive repair business.

“I love taking something that’s broken and making it whole and better again,” said Leavitt, who moved to Southern Nevada from Canada in 1997, when he founded Leavitt Auto Care. “My brother had been here and said Las Vegas needed a good, honest repair shop, and I always wanted to have my own business. It’s not easy, but when you are able to go in and solve a problem on a vehicle, it’s quite rewarding to find the problem and fix it.”

He launched the company with the help of his wife, LeeAnne Leavitt, some used equipment and one lift. Read full story:

Technorati Tags: Danielle Birkin, in Business Las Vegas, Jim Leavitt, Leavitt Auto Care, LeeAnne Leavitt, Steve Marcus, Colleen McCann, Nevada State Development Corp., Las Vegas, Nevada, NCET, Nevada?s Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology, entrepreneurs

It’s a vineyard in a cornfield , like an oasis in the desert. And not only do Charlie and Debbie Frey consider it the future for the farming community of Fallon; they are inviting competition.

It all goes back to Charlie’s childhood, really. He grew up on that farm in Fallon. His father pushed him toward another vocation. But after years as a certified public accountant, he was drawn back to the farming life.

“When my father fell ill, I knew it was time to move back home,” he tells me as we walk through the rows and rows of grapevines. “So, I did. And I realized that farming is changing. The alfalfa and grains we always grew out here just use too much water. So I started thinking about what we could grow that would use less. Grapes use 10% of the water most other crops do. So with the help of UNR, we began experimenting. And look where it’s led.”

There are now six different varieties of grapes growing at Churchill Vineyards. They include chardonnay, white riesling, semillon and merlot. And all of them are doing well. Read more:

Technorati Tags: Erin Breen, Reno Gazette-Journal, Fallon, University of Nevada, Reno, UNR, Churchill Vineyards, KTVN’s Channel 2 News This Morning, NCET, Nevada?s Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology, entrepreneurs

Celebrating and Encouraging Nevada’s Entrepreneurs

Greater Reno Tahoe - March 8 - 16, 2008

Events include:

• March 10 - Entrepreneur Week Kick-Off Event - Desert Research Institute
• March 12 – NCET’s Wi-Fi Wednesday
• March 13 – EDAWN Business Buzz
      Featuring Keynote Speaker: Ben Casnocha,
      Entrepreneur and author of “My Start-Up Life”
• March 15 – NCET’s Entrepreneur Expo
      50 – 75 Exhibitors
      25 Speakers and Panelists

  Whether someone is an entrepreneur, starting a new business or wants to expand an existing business, the free Entrepreneur Expo provides:

      • Access to organizations that can help jump-start a business
       • Expert advice on virtually every facet of starting and running a business

____________________________________________________

Las Vegas - February 23 - March 16, 2008

Events include

• February 25 – Microsoft Bus – UNLV Campus
• February 25 - Entrepreneur Week Kick-Off Event - Palace Station
      Special Guests
          Dr. David Ashley, UNLV
          Somer Hollingsworth, NDA
• February 27 – NCET’s Wi-Fi Wednesday
• February 28 – SBA Resource Partners Mini-Expo
• March 1 – NCET’s Entrepreneur Expo - Palace Station
      50 – 75 Exhibitors
      25 Speakers and Panelists

   Whether someone is an entrepreneur, starting a new business or wants to expand an existing business, the free Entrepreneur Expo provides:
      •  Access to organizations that can help jump-start a business
      •  Expert advice on virtually every facet of starting and running a business

For more information on eWeek, contact Emily Lowe at 775-337-3328 or Emily@NCET.org

Technorati tags: NCET, Nevada’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology, Greater Reno-Tahoe, Las Vegas, Nevada, Desert Research Institute, EDAWN, NCET’s Entrepreneur Expo, Dr. David Ashley, Some Hollingsworth, Palace Station, UNLV, Wi-Fi Wednesday

What is becoming known as the largest international event for the geothermal power industry, the Geothermal Energy Association’s Trade Show is expected to draw record crowds this year, according to the GEA.

The annual event is held in conjunction with the Geothermal Resources Council Annual Meeting, and over 1,500 participants and visitors are expected at the two events. Last year’s programs brought together 1,000 people, and we anticipate a 50% increase, noted Karl Gawell, GEA’s Executive Director. The three day GEA-GRC events will be held October 1-3 at John Ascuaga’s Nugget in Sparks (Reno), Nevada. Read more:

Technorati Tags: Geothermal Energy Association, GEA, Geothermal Resources Council Annual Meeting, Karl Gawell, John Ascuaga?s Nugget, Sparks, Reno, Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons, Michael Yackira, Sierra Pacific Resources, Alexander Karsner, US Department of Energy, Michael Olsen, US Department of Interior, Ormat, Sierra Geothermal, UTC Power, Enel North America, NCET, Nevada?s Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology