News roundup – State funding spurs multiple geothermal projects in Colorado

Following news of the $7.7 million in grant awards from the Colorado Energy Office for 35 innovative geothermal projects in the State of Colorado, multiple releases have been published providing more details on these projects. Rather than report on them individually, we have decided to collate these stories to highlight the diversity of projects receiving funding support.

This is by no means a complete list of the project that received the grant awards. The full list can be accessed via this link. It is nevertheless a good representation of the parallel efforts ongoing to promote geothermal development in Colorado.

To recap, the list of projects cover a wide range of geothermal applications with the grants divided as such:

• Single-structure geothermal heat pump installations – $947,000
• Interconnected thermal energy networks between buildings – $3.57 million
• Geothermal electricity generation – $3.22 million

Thermal energy networks

Teverra has been awarded a $100,000 grant for a pre-feasibility study of a geothermal-augment thermal energy network in Rico, Colorado. The project also aims to establish Rico as a regional hub for geothermal energy education and workforce development. Through community engagement and strategic partnerships, Teverra seeks to educate stakeholders about the numerous benefits of geothermal energy while fostering a sense of pride and ownership within the community.

Teverra had previously been awarded a contract by the Colorado Energy and Carbon Management Commission (EMC) to conduct a comprehensive analysis of geothermal resources throughout the state.

“We are excited to work hand-in-hand with the Rico community to realize the full potential of geothermal energy “ said Emilie Gentry, Senior Geothermal Geoscientist of Teverra. “Together, we can build a more sustainable future by leveraging the power of geothermal while honoring the unique character and history of our mountain towns.”

Colorado-based Gradient Geothermal has also been awarded a $100,000 grant to evaluate the viability of establishing a thermal energy network for the town of Pierce. More specifically, hot water (49 – 65 °C) after electric power generation via the inactive oil wells of the nearby Pierce Field (operated by PDC Energy Inc.) will be channeled into thermal network for Pierce residents.

“Gradient Geothermal is excited to help bring geothermal energy and power generation to Pierce Field, Colorado,” said Dr. Benjamin Burke, Chief Executive Officer, Gradient Geothermal. “We have a prime opportunity to bring new life to a mature oil field. Pierce can be a world-class ‘geothermal garden’ where both heat and electricity from geothermal power benefit the entire town and provide jobs for a workforce familiar with oil and gas.”

Carbondale-based nonprofit Clean Energy Economy for the Region (CLEER) received two awards totaling $312,012 for the design and installation of a geothermal energy network across 16 acres of Carbondale, underneath the Third Street Center and surrounding buildings.

The project had also been previously selected for funding under a program by the US Department of Energy for supporting community geothermal heating and cooling systems. More funding under this program will be available this year, but it has to be matched by funding from non-federal sources. Thus, CLEER intends to use part of the state grant to satisfy this additional funding requirement and apply for another round of federal funding.

Exploration and implementation of geothermal power

Geothermal startup Pure-Green Colorado has been awarded $297,510 to evaluate the potential for geothermal power generation and green hydrogen production at the Steamboat Ski Resort. If the results are favorable, the goal will be to establish a 3-MW geothermal power facility with geomechanical energy storage by technology partner Sage GeoSystems, as well as 500kW of hydrogen production utilizing technology from New Day Hydrogen.

“We are grateful for this award and the support we’ve gained from partner organizations in the Steamboat community. The grant enables us to study the viability of next generation geothermal in partnership with the Steamboat Ski Resort. Our technologies are field-tested and commercial ready. We’re optimistic about deploying our clean energy ecosystem at the resort,” said Brian Dunn, CEO of Pure-Green Colorado.

The first of two awards received by Geothermal Technologies Inc. (GTI) is an amount of $249,775 for the exploration of geothermal potential in the Denver-Julesberg Basin. The goal for the project will be to identify hot sedimentary aquifers suitable for geothermal power generation. The project goal is to minimize uncertainties associated with estimates of temperature, depth, aquifer, and sustainability of the geothermal resource across the basin.

GTI has secured a second grant with an amount of $1,000,000 for the drilling and confirmation test phase of the flagship 3.2-MW geothermal power project at the Longs Peak Dairy in Weld County. Upon successful demonstration, the facility aims to expand to a 20 MW facility with the potential of expanding to 180 to 200 MW of capacity.  The electricity project will be one of the first geothermal energy demonstrations in Colorado, enabling greater adoption of emerging technologies while providing opportunities for the oil and gas industry in the region.

“We have received the necessary deep-well geothermal drilling permits from the State and are now seeking an offtake agreement, aka Power Purchase Agreement, for the clean electricity that we will be generating – stay tuned!”  says Jim Hollis, COO of GTI.

Mt. Princeton Geothermal LLC (MPG) will receive a $500,000 grant which will go towards the drilling of  a confirmation well to better understand the subsurface geology of the Mount Princeton area. MPG currently holds a lease for 3000 acres of land in the Maxwell Park area near the Lost Creek subdivision, where the company proposes to put up a 10-MW geothermal power project.

Geothermal projects in universities

The University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder) also received two grant awards under the program. A $175,092 grant will go towards a feasibility study on the utilization of deep geothermal resources to generate heat and power for the campus. The study will notably evaluate the viability of deploying the Eavor-Loop technology for this project. The project also aims to evaluate the integration of shallow geothermal solutions for its thermal energy network analysis.

The second grant awarded to CU Boulder, with an amount of $499,999, is for a study on the implementation of a thermal energy networks for the Williams Village, East Campus, and Main Campus. The project aims to decarbonize the heating and cooling systems in these facilities, representing over 12 million square feet of conditioned space. The thermal energy network study will also be supported by Eavor Technologies, who will assess the potential for deep geothermal cogeneration of heat and electricity on campus.

The Colorado Mesa University (CMU) also received two grant awards, totaling $397,993. CMU holds the distinction of having an existing geothermal heating and cooling system, running across 2.5 miles of a central loop pipe that connects 16 buildings, or 70% of the campus. This geothermal system saves $1.5 million in energy costs per year, translating to about 2% savings in tuition costs.

The first $210,493.50 grant will go towards the geothermal retrofit and interconnection of the Fine Arts building to the university’s geothermal grid.  Another $187,500 grant will to support the expansion of the system with the geothermal system and interconnection design of the Tolman Hall student dormitory.

CMU had previously secured $6 million in federal funding for the expansion of the university’s geothermal system, which was then matched by $3 million by the university. Expansion work is expected to begin this summer.

Source: AP News, Business Wire, Sopris Sun, Colorado Biz, Geothermal Technologies, CU Boulder Today, The Daily Sentinel