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Showing posts from July 6, 2025

"Steam, Scandals, and Stalled Megawatts: KenGen’s Court Battle Over Olkaria VII Consultancy"

Power, Politics, and Procurement: Inside KenGen’s Legal Battle Over Olkaria VII Geothermal Consultancy By  Robert Buluma In a dramatic twist that’s shaken Kenya’s energy sector, the Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) is locked in a legal showdown over the consultancy tender for its highly anticipated Olkaria VII geothermal power plant. The project, aimed at injecting 80 megawatts of clean energy into the national grid, now faces turbulence—not from the underground steam chambers of Hell’s Gate, but from boardrooms and courtrooms. 🔍 What’s the Fuss About? At the heart of this high-stakes battle is a €18.16 million consultancy tender awarded to Italy’s ELC Electroconsult SPA . The catch? Their bid was over Sh200 million higher than that of the next technically qualified firm. The Public Procurement Administrative Review Board (PPARB), Kenya’s watchdog for public tenders, wasn’t impressed. In a June 2025 ruling, PPARB annulled the award, citing procedural irregularities, ...

Teverra Powers Up Rico: A $200K Boost to Colorado’s Geothermal Future

By Robert Buluma | Alphaxioms Blog | July 8, 2025 From Fossil Fuels to the Earth’s Furnace—Rico is Rising Nestled in the mountainous beauty of southwest Colorado, the historic town of Rico is about to become a shining example of how geothermal innovation can power a resilient, carbon-free future. Thanks to a $200,000 grant from the Colorado Energy Office, awarded under the state’s groundbreaking Geothermal Energy Grant Program, Teverra is setting the stage for a transformative shift in how rural communities heat their homes. 🔥 A Groundbreaking Project with Groundbreaking Heat Teverra, headquartered in Atlanta, is no stranger to subsurface energy innovation. But the Rico Heat Network Project might just be one of its most impactful endeavors yet. The company plans to deploy cutting-edge subsurface analysis, thermal modeling, and engineering expertise to develop a direct-use geothermal system that will sustainably heat and cool buildings across the town. This isn’t just a pilot—it’s a pr...