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Third Well to Help Meet Demand for Geothermal Heating in Boise, Idaho

Third Well to Help Meet Demand for Geothermal Heating in Boise, Idaho Capitol Building, Boise, Idaho (Source: flickr/ TravelUSA, creative commons)
Parker O'Halloran 15 May 2017

Boise to add third geothermal well to boost existing geothermal heating network

Many people walking the streets of Boise may not realize it, but the city has the largest city-operated geothermal heating system in the United States, according to Boise Public Works.

It is estimated that approximately 5 million square feet (465,000 square meters) of downtown building space is heated with locally sourced geothermal water using two municipally operated wells. Discussions are under way to add a third well to keep up with demand.

According to Colin Hickman, a spokesman for Boise Public Works, “We’re getting to a place where the amount of space downtown that we’re heating we felt it was the right time to bring on the third well to ensure that we have redundancy, in case something happens during the winter months, during our peak season so we have some back up for the customers on geothermal heating,”

Interestingly, a third well was dug in 1982, however, it has been not in use. Hickman says this third well is needed. These particular wells in Boise have geothermal water that is approximately 177 F (80 C) degrees when it comes out of the ground and is then pumped in insulated pipes to the downtown locations where the water heats the buildings.

“The buildings will basically take the heat out of that water, use it for their heating purposes in their building, and then that water goes back to Julia Davis Park, and there’s an injection well there that puts that water back into the earth,” Hickman said.

Hickman adds that Boise should be proud of its geothermal system as it eliminates the use of fossil fuels, it’s renewable and it’s an economic driver that will bring businesses in that are interested in this type of renewable energies to the Boise area.

Geothermal energy use in Boise dates back to the 1890s.

Source: Natalie Shaver, KTVB broadcast May 2, 2017