An innovative power system for an innovative learning center

SMYRNA — Senator Coons joined Senator Carper and Congressman Carney at the Delaware AeroSpace Education Foundation’s (DASEF) Innovation Technology Exploration Center in Smyrna to announce a $50,000 USDA Rural Development grant to help fund a geothermal heating and cooling system.

The project will be comprised of eighty 400-foot deep wells that will provide heating and cooling to the 40,000 square-foot Exploration Center building.  The geothermal system will also serve as a learning tool for the thousands of children who visit the site each year to learn about science and technology.

Chris commended DASEF on its unwavering dedication to teaching the next generation about everything from space exploration to protecting the Earth, and from clean energy technology to reducing our dependence on foreign oil. 

“Educating our kids in science and technology is a critical part of keeping our state and nation competitive,” he said. “NASA may have launched its last space shuttle earlier this year, but we must not let that stand in the way of progress and discovery.  We must continue to guide our children toward career paths in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.  DASEF is committed to doing just that, and that is why we continue to support the organization’s mission.” 

The geothermal project carries a total price tag of $515,000.  DASEF also received $30,000 from DNREC’s Delaware Alternative Energy Rebate Program, and DASEF plans to cover the balance of the project while seeking additional public and private funding.