The Nye County School District trustees rejected a proposal by Green Inq consulting firm to conduct thermal conductivity tests at its meeting last Thursday.

The tests would have determined the feasibility of using geothermal energy at future schools in the Pahrump valley.

Although the board rejected funding tests that could end up costing the district more than $25,000, they were not opposed to using the technology in the future.

Tapping into the Earth's resources instead of the district's pocketbook was an idea introduced by Rebecca Oscarson, key accounts coordinator for Valley Electric Association (VEA).

"This is when we actually use the energy within the Earth (for heating and cooling) instead of creating it with a compressor," Bob Whimpey, district maintenance and operations director, explained.

He added that the proponents of geothermal energy claimed that this could "cut our utilities, electrical, heating and cooling in half."

Although the request was specifically for the Floyd Elementary School project, Whimpey told the board that if approved, the testing would actually be conducted in the Gamebird Road area where the recently proposed high school would be put up.

The maintenance director explained that this school would most likely be the first to use geothermal energy, if feasible, since Floyd Elementary is too far along in the construction process to benefit from it. "Going through the process will slow down the deadlines on Floyd Elementary, and we don't want to do that," Whimpey said. "However (Green Inq) has stated that once we get a feel for one area, it should be generally true for the whole area."

Board trustee Mike Floyd, although not opposed to the idea, questioned the wisdom of approving funding for the testing when it would be applicable not to the elementary school but to the future high school.

Furthermore, he pointed out, there was the possibility of receiving additional funding for the state, but those funds or their availability had yet to be determined.

"I think maybe we should wait, if we're not going to need this until the high school, then we should wait until we find out how much money we're going to get from the state," Floyd said.

Whimpey responded that even if the district spent the money now, the technology would pay for itself in the future and the information yielded by the tests could be useful now.

"I'd like to get the affirmation to see if we should pursue this any more or not," Whimpey said. "And if we can do these tests, then we can get information to see if we can pursue this in our valley."

"I mean I think it's a good idea," Floyd said. "It's probably one of the only things that you're going to put in a school that's going to actually pay for itself over the next few years, but I think we should wait a year or two."

Superintendent Rob Roberts pointed out that in addition, the costs may well end up exceeding the $25,000 proposed.

"The item will have to go out to bid and is over $25,000," Roberts explained. "Because the way the contract reads, its $20 (thousand) for this, $10 (thousand) for this, $5 (thousand) for that, and the next thing you know we're getting into real money."

Roberts also pointed out that it might be more prudent to wait and see what kind of budget the district would have to work with in the next fiscal year.

"We don't even know what our actual budget's going to be for this year because we don't have any money from the state yet," Roberts pointed out. "The (Nevada) Assembly has not concluded what education the DSA has confirmed. I would prefer not to spend money we don't have at this time."

Whimpey conceded that some extra time would allow him to look at other schools that are already utilizing the technology.

"Perhaps we can take some field trips to schools that are using this," Whimpey said. "And we could ask questions and see how they use it."