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Rico coalition outlines funded plan for small-scale geothermal district heating
Summary
Rico Geothermal Coalition presented a multi‑phase plan backed by recent Colorado grants to drill a monitoring well and design a demonstraton district‑heating project; the coalition reported strong local survey interest but said capital costs and trenching are primary barriers.
Teal Stson Lee, a Rico resident and founder of the Rico Geothermal Coalition, told the Dolores County Board of Commissioners that a multi‑year effort to evaluate and develop a local geothermal heating system has moved from scoping into a feasibility phase.
Lee said the coalition received a $100,000 Colorado Geothermal Grant last year to complete a scoping study and recently won a second award, $200,000, to fund an initial system design and a monitoring well. "We received our first grant through the Colorado Geothermal Grant Program for $100,000 to fund our initial scoping study," Lee said. She added the second award will support drilling and design work that could run 10–18 months.
The scoping work included 3‑D reservoir mapping and a door‑to‑door survey of Rico residents; Lee said the group collected 101 responses, 90 of them from local residents, and that more than 64% of respondents expressed interest in using geothermal heat for homes or buildings. Based on that data and the mapping, the coalition plans a small demonstration project near the town’s north end, adjacent to the Bedrock subdivision, to heat a cluster of buildings — proposed uses include a co‑working space, a greenhouse and a public restroom — before scaling outward.
Lee described technical and cost hurdles: capital outlays for trenching and piping, excavation in the town’s constrained right-of-way and the upfront price of converting buildings from wood and propane. "Funding and cost" are the primary barriers, she said, though she noted state momentum and incentives for geothermal projects.
County board members and other participants asked how the initial district would be selected; Lee said selection would be driven by the feasibility map and community interest. She also emphasized technical options to limit water use by using closed‑loop heat extraction and to augment ground heat with wastewater heat capture.
The coalition described the project as a potential template for other communities in the region, and Lee encouraged continued coordination with county staff and trustees. The board took no formal action on the presentation; Lee invited anyone with questions to contact the coalition and said monthly informational "geothermal cafes" are open to the public.
