Click to return to the home page.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
NELSON: $5 MILLION IN STIMULUS FUNDS FOR GEOTHERMAL ENERGY IN LINCOLN

October 29, 2009 – Today, Nebraska’s Senator Ben Nelson welcomed an announcement by the U.S. Department of Energy that a Lincoln company will receive $5 million to install a ground source geothermal heat pump demonstration project in Lancaster county.  The funding is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

“Today’s announcement by the Department of Energy represents a dramatic expansion of US geothermal capacity,” said Nelson.  “The Lincoln demonstration project will help jump-start this new industry while increasing our use of renewable sources of energy.”

"Lincoln is excited about geothermal energy," said Mayor Chris Beutler.  "We are using it in our schools and some newer developments in the city.  The District Energy Corporation is truly a leader in the efficient use of renewable energy, and this demonstration will greatly encourage geothermal use, not just locally, but across the state."

District Energy Corporation in Lincoln will receive $5,000,000 to install a district geothermal energy plant to serve a new jail facility in Lancaster County. The new district energy plant will provide heating, cooling, and backup electricity to the facility, using renewable energy sources.  The facility is planned to be the largest geothermal ground-source loop field system for a county detention facility within the United States. As a demonstration project, DEC is hopeful the facility will demonstrate high efficiency coupled with low life cycle cost.

DEC is an inter-local corporation, providing tax-exempt financing, joint planning, and coordinated use of energy infrastructure to facilities throughout Lincoln and Lancaster County, Nebraska.
The funding announced today by the US Department of Energy is part of $338 million in grants funding the exploration and development of new geothermal fields and research into advanced geothermal technologies.  These stimulus grants will support 123 total projects in 39 states, including 37 demonstration projects for ground source heat pumps such as the facility slated for Lincoln.  The grants are being matched more than one-for-one with an additional $353 million in private and non-Federal cost-share funds.

Senator Nelson played a key role in the passage of the $787 billion stimulus bill. He worked with a bipartisan group of nearly 20 Senators to better focus The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act on tax cuts for the middle class and job creation for millions of Americans. Senator Nelson led the group through the initial bill line by line, dollar by dollar, to reduce spending and cut out $108 billion of inefficient or less-stimulative spending. The bipartisan group helped the improved bill win congressional approval. President Obama signed it into law February 17, 2009.
 
Senator Nelson is posting information about the release of stimulus finds on his website as it becomes available.  Visit http://bennelson.senate.gov/feature_4.cfm for more information.

###

Search:   Economy, Energy, Infrastructure, Science and Technology, Press