Rep. Michael has introduced HB 1669 concerning installation of geothermal heating systems in schools. It does a couple of things. First, it exempts installation of geothermal heating systems (either in a new school or to replace an existing conventional system) from consideration as a “controlled project.” Controlled projects are those that can potentially be subject to a referendum on additional spending.
Next, it creates a state revolving fund for the purpose of making loans to schools for installation of geothermal heating systems. The amount of loan cannot exceed the difference between the cost of a conventional system and the cost of the geothermal system — the state wants to subsidize the geothermal system, not heating and cooling needs in general.
Finally, it appropriates $2 million from the state general fund to the geothermal loan fund. “Geothermal heating and cooling system” is defined as a heating and cooling system that uses the natural heat from the earth to generate heating and cooling. For an overview, here is the Wikipedia entry on geothermal heating.
From that entry:
Benefits
Geothermal energy is a type of renewable energy that encourages conservation of natural resources. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, geo-exchange systems save homeowners 30-70 percent in heating costs, and 20-50 percent in cooling costs, compared to conventional systems.[10] Geo-exchange systems also save money because they require much less maintenance. In addition to being highly reliable they are built to last for decades and can add considerably the resale value of a structure.
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Problems
Geothermal heating projects may cause problems if the geology of the area is poorly understood. An example is a 2007 geothermal heating project for the historical city hall of Staufen im Breisgau, Germany. After the 140m borehole caused groundwater to come into contact with a hitherto isolated gypsum layer, the ground underneath the city underwent a chemical reaction, causing the city centre to rise after an initial drop. This has been causing considerable damages to buildings in the city centre.
Since the benefits from this will be long term with a higher investment cost now, I predict this dead in the water. Maybe we can just burn the poo from the CAFO’s we’ll fail to regulate and create a win-win. :-)