Boise’s Geothermal Heating District: Comparable to Boise State Football?

From Geo Montana to Bart “Energy” Starr, the geothermal industry has some playful nominal ties to the sport of football. Ask any geothermal contractor; there’s nothing like tossing around the old pigskin on a ground loop field. All jokes aside, though, comparisons have indeed been drawn between the two seemingly unrelated realms.

In 2010, Boise, Idaho Mayor Dave Bieter stressed the quality of his city’s geothermal heating system by equating it to the Boise State football team. As you may know, Boise State had quite a season in 2010-2011, missing a BCS Championship bid by one game - a 34-31 loss to Nevada. Needless to say, the Mayor has some confidence in his football team, as well as his geothermal. Watch the video below to see it for yourself.

Now that’s a man that’s proud of his city. And with reason, too. As of 2010, Boise had “the largest direct use system in the United States.” The recent addition of a new supply pipeline provides more than 20 million extra gallons of water, leaving plenty of leeway for future projects (plenty of which have been proposed). The city now employs geothermal heating systems in four separate districts and offers building owners in those districts the option of connecting to the renewable resource.

That’s how you do geothermal! We wish the best to the Boise Public Works Department in their continued efforts to provide geothermal to business and homeowners in their downtown districts. As for Boise State football, well . . . we might as well throw them some good luck, too. Get heat pumped up, boys - we’re pulling for you.

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