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County staff outline open‑loop district geothermal plan; phase‑one estimate $1.9 million, plan could expand to other county buildings
Summary
Planning staff presented a NYSERDA‑supported schematic for an open‑loop district geothermal (two‑well) system to serve the Center of Government and, in later phases, the old jail, Daniel D. Tompkins building and courthouse. Phase one schematic was estimated at about $1.9 million and the study found a roughly 65% cost reduction versus a comparable closed‑loop system.
Tompkins County planning and project staff presented results of a feasibility and schematic design study for a district geothermal system that would use a pressurized aquifer beneath Ithaca to provide heating and cooling for county government buildings.
Staff said CHA (consultant) worked with NYSERDA and reviewed NYSEG borehole testing that indicated favorable local geology. Rather than a closed‑loop system with dozens of boreholes, the proposed open‑loop model uses a production well and an injection well. The consulting estimate for phase one—serving the Center of Government—was about $1.9 million, staff said, and the study identified approximately a 65% cost reduction compared with a closed‑loop design because of far less drilling and piping.
Under the current plan, the two wells would likely be sited near the Center of Government and a central mechanical plant would be located in the old jail basement. Phase two could use existing tunnels and terminal equipment to extend service to the Daniel D. Tompkins building and the old jail; a later phase could include the main courthouse. Staff emphasized redundancy: the existing cast‑iron boilers in the old jail would remain as backup and the center is being designed so a field boiler could be installed if needed.
Presenters discussed technical issues raised in the study: well spacing to avoid thermal short‑circuiting, water quality and treatment (iron content may require treatment but was not expected to be prohibitive), permitting limits on well depth near a local reservoir (staff expect wells around 175 ft to remain appropriately above a 200‑ft reservoir threshold), and potential eligibility for federal clean energy tax credits and future NYSERDA funding. Staff also described estimates for later phases (roughly $3.95 million for phase two/three alternatives) and noted sequencing matters for tax‑credit qualification.
Committee members generally supported advancing design and coordinating the work with the Center of Government project. Staff were asked to return with more detailed cost breakdowns, grant/tax‑credit scenarios and a capital project package for the committee’s 2027 budget cycle.
