The department of energy's federal energy management program works with its stakeholders to enable federal agencies to meet energy-related goals, identify affordable solutions, facilitate…

The Department of Energy's Federal Energy Management Program awarded $1,934,623 under the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Information Dissemination, Outreach, Training and Technical Analysis/Assistance program (CFDA 81.117) to support the General Services Administration's mechanical system modernization at the Mike Mansfield Federal Building and Courthouse in Walkerville, Montana. The award, effective August 1, 2025, through July 31, 2027, funds the implementation of an innovative geothermal heating and cooling system designed to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by leveraging ground temperature differentials for seasonal thermal exchange.

The project delivers a unique geothermal solution that utilizes an existing abandoned mine to access groundwater rather than employing traditional ground boring fields, thereby reducing installation costs and environmental impact while maintaining system efficiency. This approach represents an advanced energy conservation technology that improves the federal facility's operational sustainability while demonstrating best practices in federal energy management that can inform similar initiatives across the government infrastructure portfolio.

The department of energy's federal energy management program works with its stakeholders to enable federal agencies to meet energy-related goals, identify affordable solutions, facilitate public-private partnerships, and provide energy leadership to the country by identifying and leveraging government best practices. This assisting federal facilities with energy conservation technologies (AFFECT) award funding will support the U.S. General services administration's efforts to provide a new mechanical system at the mike mansfield federal building and courthouse by implementation of a geothermal system that takes advantage of the relatively consistent year-round ground temperature as a heat sink in the summer and a heat source during the winter. The proposed system is unique in that the system will not utilize a traditional boring field and instead will use an existing abandoned mine to access groundwater.