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Rico residents press ahead with geothermal design, secure additional $200,000 grant
Summary
A Rico resident and coalition presented details of a multi-phase geothermal project funded by Colorado grants, including a completed scoping study, community survey results and a $200,000 award to fund a feasibility design and monitoring well; commissioners heard plans for a small demonstration district and discussed costs and next steps.
Rico resident and Rico Geothermal Coalition founder Teal Stson Lee told the Dolores County board that the coalition has completed a scoping study funded by a $100,000 Colorado Geothermal Grant Program award and has now received a second grant of $200,000 to advance a feasibility design and drill a monitoring well.
"Last year we received our first grant through the Colorado Geothermal Grant Program for $100,000 to fund our initial scoping study," Teal said, and described a 3D subsurface mapping effort and a door-to-door survey that generated 101 responses, 64% of which supported using geothermal heat for residences or buildings.
Teal said the scoping work, conducted with a subsurface firm named Tivera, has produced a 3D map showing reservoir recharge and likely access points. The coalition proposes a demonstration district of roughly three buildings — a co-working space, a greenhouse and a public restroom — near a known north-side surface access point. That demonstration, Teal said, would be designed to be scalable into a broader district-heating system if monitoring and design results support expansion.
Board members asked about barriers. Teal identified capital costs and excavation logistics as the primary hurdles and said the next design phase will attach cost estimates and economics to the concept. She gave a tentative schedule for drilling a monitoring well as “anywhere from 10 to 18 months” once permitting and funding are aligned.
The presentation also highlighted local and state support: Teal said the Colorado Geothermal Grant Program awarded the coalition two rounds of funding and that state momentum and other funding streams could support later construction phases. She also noted opportunities to repurpose certain oil-and-gas industry skills and wells for geothermal applications.
County officials asked how the initial district would be chosen. Teal said site selection will combine the 3D map results with survey responses and community buy-in, and that an initial north-side site adjacent to the Bedrock subdivision was a likely starting point.
The board received the presentation with interest and urged Teal and coalition members to keep the county informed as monitoring-well permitting and contractor selection progress.
Looking ahead, the coalition plans to use the new grant funds to complete a design and monitoring-well program that will provide the data needed to evaluate economics and a phased buildout. The presentation closed with an invitation to a monthly virtual geothermal cafe the coalition hosts and an offer to share further technical files with county staff.
