History
The Newberry Crater is named after Dr. John Strong Newberry, a natural scientist who was part of a topographical expedition team that mapped railroad routes.

The earliest documented commercial use of geothermal fluids at Newberry began in 1913 when a lease was issued to build and operate the East Lake Health Resort. The resort utilized hot water along the edge of East Lake to supply a spa. The resort was abandoned in 1941 after a fire. More recently, the US Forest Service drilled hot water wells to improve campgrounds within the caldera. These hot, shallow wells were later sealed do to scalding risks.

The first geothermal lease applications on Newberry were recorded in February, 1974, one month after federal lands had formalized geothermal lease procedures. In 1976, the Newberry Known Geothermal Resource Area was created. In 1978, the US Geological Survey published the results of an assessment of geothermal resources within the US. The assessment estimated for sustained economically producible geothermal energy from Newberry Volcano is reported to be 740 MW for 30 years.

Until 2006, close to $50 million were invested in drilling and exploration of Newberry. The resource has been explored by the Federal Government and industry for at least 30 years. In 1980, the USGS drilled core hole Newberry 2 near the center and recorded a temperature of 509°F at 3090 feet. This was the hottest shallow geothermal well ever drilled in the US. When drilling was halted due to equipment problems, the temperature was still climbing.

Timeline