Former Senator Debbie Stabenow Secures $2.7 Million for Northwestern Michigan College Geothermal Project
Former United States Senator Debbie Stabenow played a pivotal role in securing $2.7 million in congressionally directed spending for Northwestern Michigan College's (NMC) $20 million geothermal exchange system project in 2023. This funding was crucial in seeding the initiative, which aims to achieve a 96 percent reduction in carbon emissions for the college. The project, currently under construction since May, involves drilling 220 bores, each 465 feet deep, beneath the college’s Cherry parking lot. These bores will house U-shaped loops carrying a water-glycol mix to harness the earth's stable thermal energy for heating and cooling five key campus buildings: Scholars Hall, the Osterlin Building, the Tanis Building, the Biederman Building, and the Health & Science building. The college identified the need to replace its aging power plant, which had four massive boilers, three of which were over 50 years old, as early as 2020. In addition to the federal funding, the NMC Board of Trustees allocated $5 million... 
