Wednesday, June 16, 2010

DOE increases school geothermal funds

Additional $1 million added to existing grant

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By TERRY SMITH
Express Staff Writer

The U.S. Department of Energy has increased a grant for geothermal projects at Blaine County School District facilities from $4 million to $5 million.

District Business Manager Mike Chatterton said the DOE funds will now pay for almost a third of the $15.1 million the district plans to spend on geothermal resource development and heating-, ventilating- and cooling-system retrofits at Carey School, Wood River High School, and Bellevue and Hailey elementary schools.

"It's good news for the district because we get another million," Chatterton said.

The balance of the cost, $10.1 million, is being funded through a $59.8 plant facilities levy approved by county voters in October.

The geothermal work, currently in the planning stages by McKinstry, a Seattle-based engineering firm contracted by the district, is scheduled to start this summer.

Chatterton said the DOE has selected the school district as a "Milestone Project," meaning that the geothermal resource development work will be featured in national DOE literature as a model program.

Though the levy vote authorized geothermal projects at other district schools, Chatterton said decisions haven't been yet made to proceed beyond the four facilities covered in the McKinstry contract.

Terry Smith: tsmith@mtexpress.com

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