Parking pain, but payoffs of geothermal energy project enormous

By Linda Fulps

Missouri University of Science and Technology
Communications Department

Those looking for a place to park or trying to maneuver the streets around the Missouri S&T campus may be irritated by all the construction created by the geothermal energy project. The university recognizes this construction may be an inconvenience, but the long-term benefits of the project are enormous.

The geothermal project will replace Missouri S&T’s aging coal-fired plant, which was built in 1945. It will cut the campus’s annual energy use by half, its carbon footprint by 25,000 metric tons per year and water usage by 8,000,000 gallons per year.

The project will also eliminate a backlog of about $26 million in postponed maintenance costs for the power plant. Those costs include the replacement of boilers, steam lines and other outdated infrastructure.

Ground-source wells dug around campus are being fit with pipes and connected to create closed geothermal loops. Water will be circulated through the loops from three geothermal plants that will be built on campus. The system will allow energy to be stored in and reclaimed from about 600 well fields around campus.

The City of Rolla reminds drivers not to block driveways or entrances to businesses or properties in the downtown Rolla area, and to be aware of timed parking hours, which will be enforced.

To learn more about the project, please visit http://geothermal.mst.edu.