October 16, 2006

The U.S. Department of Energy, in cooperation with the Utah Geological Survey, has funded a study to examine the feasibility of heating the Utah Transit Authority’s (UTA) commuter rail service center with geothermal energy.

The $15,000 study will assess the feasibility of using naturally occurring underground energy to help heat UTA’s 165,000 square foot facility, located near the Wasatch Hot Springs in Salt Lake City. The study, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s GeoPowering the West Program, was requested by the Utah State Energy Program, a part of the Utah Geological Survey.

Without geothermal energy, it is estimated that UTA could spend up to $15,000 per month heating the commuter rail center. Using the natural energy that is thought to exist below the site may save UTA and taxpayers thousands of dollars a year.

If determined to be economically feasible, UTA would tap hot geothermal water to provide heat to the working areas of the repair and maintenance facility. While not expected to be able to heat the whole facility, it is anticipated that the use of geothermal energy will significantly reduce use of natural gas.

UTA’s commuter rail center is the former Union Pacific locomotive maintenance facility. The building is currently undergoing renovations to accommodate UTA’s commuter rail fleet. UTA will use the building for cleaning and repairing passenger cars and locomotives for the new FrontRunner commuter rail train service that will extend from Salt Lake City north to Ogden. The facility will also be used to refurbish used rail cars that UTA has acquired for the FrontRunner system.

The feasibility study will be carried out by engineers of the Geo-Heat Center located at the Oregon Institute of Technology. The Center provides technical assistance for geothermal projects in the area of equipment and materials selection, feasibility studies, design, trouble-shooting and economic evaluations.

GeoPowering the West works with the U.S. geothermal industry, power companies, industrial and residential consumers, and federal, state, and local officials to provide technical and institutional support and limited, cost-shared funding to state-level activities. Results of the study are expected by the end of December, 2006.