Colorado governor announces grants for geothermal energy
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(PUEBLO, Colo.) — On Friday, May 25, Governor Jared Polis and the Colorado Energy Office (CEO) announced $7.7 million in grant awards through the Geothermal Energy Grant Program to advance the use of geothermal technology in Colorado.
“Geothermal energy, the heat beneath our feet, is an underutilized resource that can save people money on energy and improve air quality. Colorado is already a national leader in low-cost renewable energy, and now with these grants, we are supporting more geothermal energy across the state,” said Governor Jared Polis.
The Governor’s office said the grants will support 35 projects across the state that will range from installing heat pumps to studying geothermal resources for zero-emissions electricity generation. The awardees are expected to invest more than $100 million into the awarded projects to leverage the state’s investment.
The City of Pueblo is getting $270,000 in grant funding to install ground-source heat pumps for heating and cooling at three new, net-zero emissions fire stations. The fire stations will be in majority black, indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC) communities that are far away from existing emergency services, which the Governor’s office said will help reduce insurance rates and improve emergency response time and outcomes. The project is also expected to save taxpayers money, resulting in more than $28,000 in energy cost savings annually.
“Installing geothermal heat pumps in Pueblo’s three newest net-zero fire stations will keep operation costs low while reducing electricity demand on the grid from these much-needed emergency services hubs,” said Pueblo Mayor Heather Graham. “We are grateful to receive this funding from the state, which will not only help us achieve our sustainability goals but will also save our community money and advance the use of innovative geothermal technology in our city.”
The Governor also said that thermal energy networks and geothermal electricity generation require the same workforce skills as jobs in the oil and gas industry.
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