Michigan Town Creates Geothermal Utility

Source: ContractorMag, Steve Spaulding  (8/8/11)

"The plan, made possible in part through a $560,000 Neighborhood Stabilization Grant from the federal government, is an ambitious one."


ContractorMag, Steve Spaulding

Wyandotte, a city with a population of just over 25,000 located in southern Michigan, is attempting to address both obstacles at once with the creation of a geothermal utility. The plan, made possible in part through a $560,000 Neighborhood Stabilization Grant from the federal government, is an ambitious one. The project has identified 48 installations in the planning phase, and work has been either started or completed on 10. Included in the plan are 25 new residential installations, 19 retrofit installations, three commercial installations and one new 20-unit multi-family development.

The city hired private contractors to drill ground source wells in utility easements and connect several homes to each well. Tentative plans call for the municipal services to cover the $8,000 cost for each well and charge home and building owners a monthly service fee and energy charge based on the capacity of the system installed. On the other side of the equation, homeowners can qualify for a 30% tax credit on the cost of purchasing and installing a geothermal system through 2016. . .View full article