Geothermal Project receives tax credit to bring modern comfort, sustainability, and improved infrastructure to campus
Adams State University is about to get a lot cooler. A geothermal heating and cooling project will significantly improve the comfort and quality of campus life. Through a partnership with the Colorado Energy Office and McKinstry through Colorado’s Energy Performance Contracting (EPC) program, the university will install a ground-source geothermal system serving the Student Union Building (SUB) and Rex Activity Center. The new system will add air conditioning to both buildings and will replace less efficient heating infrastructure with ground-source heat pumps that are four to five times more energy-efficient than conventional electric resistance systems.
The project received a Colorado Geothermal Energy Tax Credit Offering (GETCO) grant award of $4.3 million in state investment tax credits bringing significant state investment to the project.
“The SUB and Rex Activity Center are hubs for our students,” said Adams State President David A. Tandberg, Ph.D. “With these environmental upgrades, students can work out in Rex or hang out in the SUB much more comfortably.”
The geothermal system uses a closed-loop design, meaning it exchanges heat from the ground for building heating and cooling, without removing groundwater. In a region like the San Luis Valley, where water is a precious and carefully managed resource, this approach is sustainable and the best use of natural resources. This project will help the campus better conserve natural resources and save money. “This type of cooling and heating project reflects our responsibility to this community,” said Adams State Vice President of Administration and Chief Information Officer Kevin Daniel.
The project also includes replacing grass on the campus green space in front of the Rex Stadium with artificial turf, a change that will reduce irrigation demands by over one million gallons a year and conserve water resources for the long term.
Colorado is increasingly recognizing geothermal as a proven path to cleaner, more affordable energy for its public institutions. Earlier this year, the Colorado Energy Office released feasibility studies confirming that geothermal systems are technically viable for campuses across the state and represent a meaningful step toward reducing emissions and stabilizing long-term energy costs.
Critically, the system is being designed with the future in mind. Capacity will be built in to accommodate a potential expansion of the Student Union Building, and the infrastructure is planned to eventually serve student housing and other buildings on campus as well, which extends the comfort and efficiency benefits to where students live and learn and faculty and staff work.
The project is made possible through Colorado’s Energy Performance Contracting program, a state-administered mechanism that allows public institutions to fund facility upgrades through long-term energy savings, enabling improvements that might otherwise be beyond reach for institutions like Adams State. McKinstry, a national leader in building performance and energy services, is the university’s partner in designing, implementing, and managing the project.
“This project reflects what the energy performance contracting model was built to do: deliver large‑scale, integrated solutions,” said Brian Firestone, senior account executive at McKinstry. “In partnership with Adams State University and the state of Colorado, we’re implementing a complex geothermal system that improves building comfort, supporting greater student use and community engagement while creating infrastructure designed to serve the campus for years to come.”
The geothermal system builds upon recent Adams State infrastructure improvements, the renovation and expansion of the Central Technology Building and the future construction of a new Facilities Services Building.
The geothermal project is expected to begin immediately and be completed by the end of Spring 2027.
About Adams State University
Adams State University is Colorado’s only Rural Anchor Institution and the state’s first Hispanic-Serving Institution. Located in Alamosa in the heart of the San Luis Valley, Adams State is committed to expanding access to higher education for first-generation, rural, and underserved students. For more information, visit adams.edu.
About McKinstry
McKinstry is a national leader in designing, constructing, operating and maintaining high-performing buildings. From new construction and ongoing operations to adaptive reuse and energy retrofits, the company provides a single point of accountability across the entire building lifecycle. McKinstry focuses on people and outcomes to ensure the built environment serves owners, operators and occupants alike. McKinstry is your trusted partner for the life of your building. Learn more at www.mckinstry.com.
