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Boise accepts Harris family donation of geothermal water rights to quadruple downtown system capacity
Summary
Council accepted a donation of geothermal water rights from the Harris Family Partnership; city officials said the gift will nearly quadruple geothermal heating capacity serving downtown Boise buildings and help advance long-term climate and cost-savings goals.
Boise City Council accepted a donation from the Harris Family Partnership of geothermal water rights that city leaders said will nearly quadruple the municipal geothermal system’s capacity. The donation was announced as part of the consent agenda and the council accepted the item without separate roll-call debate.
Mayor and council members praised Doug Fowler and the Harris family for the “legacy” donation. The mayor said the city currently heats 89 downtown buildings with the municipal geothermal system and that the gift will expand access to developers and buildings on the existing wait list. “We’re sitting on the country's largest geothermal system,” the mayor said, noting the city’s interest in expanding the system to reduce heating costs and greenhouse-gas emissions.
The council accepted the donation and indicated a future public ceremony to celebrate the gift once site preparations are complete. Staff noted the donation will require follow-up for trail access and system integration and promised to return to council with implementation details and a public celebration date.
