HEET, in collaboration with Eversource and the City of Framingham, is entering the construction phase of a groundbreaking geothermal network that is designed to expand utility geothermal heating and cooling service for homes and businesses in Framingham.
The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Geothermal Technologies Office (GTO) awarded HEET $8.6 million for the continuation of an initial design phase award. The project expands, or grows, the existing networked geothermal system in Framingham for the first time. The resulting geothermal network design features heating and cooling capacity similar to the operating geothermal infrastructure in Framingham. Constructing the new network and interconnecting it to the existing network is intended to demonstrate geothermal utility growth or expansion potential. The project is also intended to increase understanding of deployment, develop geothermal workforce, and quantify electric grid impacts - all while showcasing signficant cost reductions due to scaling efficiencies.
This project taps geothermal energy, which is a rock solid, local, reliable, and abundant energy resource. Ambient geothermal energy is the everywhere geothermal energy, found in the ground beneath our feet all over the globe. Geothermal heating and cooling technologies tap this "everywhere energy" to provide efficient building heating and cooling. Interconnecting geothermal heating and cooling technology to form district-scale or utility-scale networks can increase efficiency, reducing both electric grid load and customer bills. These networks can also enable scaling, increasing energy independence, access to cooling, infrastructure investment, and jobs.
"This award is an opportunity and a responsibility to clearly demonstrate and quantify the growth potential of geothermal network technology," said HEET's Executive Director Zeyneb Magavi, "Which we will do, together with our partners and colleagues on the project team and at GTO. This project also represents the continuation of a collaboration that began when HEET first pitched our idea of geothermal networks to gas utilities in 2017."
"We're proud to be leading the way in energy innovation with our first-in-the-nation networked geothermal system fully operational in Framingham," said Nikki Bruno, Eversource Vice President of Thermal Solutions and Operational Services. "With the system delivering reliable service to 140 residential and commercial customers, we've seen strong performance across both heating and cooling seasons. This DOE funding builds on the solid foundation we've established with HEET and the City of Framingham and allows us to explore how interconnected geothermal loops can further boost resilience, efficiency, and affordability. It's a critical step toward scaling this technology as a viable energy solution and a powerful example of collaboration between utilities, municipalities, and nonprofits like HEET."
"We are excited to have been selected by the Department of Energy, alongside HEET and Eversource, to further expand the nation's pioneering utility networked geothermal project right here in the City of Framingham," said Mayor Charlie Sisitsky. "This innovative project not only showcases Framingham's commitment to sustainable energy solutions but also sets a precedent for other communities across the nation. By harnessing the natural heat from the earth, we are taking a significant step towards increasing our energy independence and promoting abundant local energy sources. Our collaboration with HEET and Eversource exemplifies the power of partnerships in driving forward innovative energy initiatives."
"Salas O'Brien is excited to be part of the HEET, City of Framingham, and Eversource expansion loop project and honored to be selected for the next phase of the grant program,' said Brian Urlaub, Director of Geothermal Operations at Salas O'Brien. "The team collaborated and worked diligently on putting an exceptional grant application together and it's exciting to see this project move to the next phase as the first of its kind in the country. This project has tremendous opportunities for learning more about network geothermal systems which I believe were key to being awarded the grant."
The project has begun, with construction planned to start in 2026, pending regulatory approval.
Founded in 2008, HEET is a nonprofit energy innovation hub focused today on the potential of the invisible, abundant thermal energy all around us. This thermal energy provides society an opportunity to modernize our energy systems to meet the needs of the future. In 2017 HEET pioneered the gas-to- geo pathway, demonstrating how gas utilities and their workforce can build and operate networked geothermal systems, scaling affordable access to building heating and cooling by creating a thermal energy market. HEET's work is driven by our understanding that the energy system is the basis of our economy and of human well-being, today and for future generations.
For more information, visit www.heet.org.
Contacts:
Rachel Wheeler, Logistics Director, HEET, rachel.wheeler@HEET.org, 617-237-0060
Zeyneb Magavi, Executive Director, HEET, zeyneb.magavi@HEET.org, 617-433-8088
Olessa Stepanova, External Communications Manager, Eversource,
olessa.stepanova@eversource.com, 781-441-8952
Susan Petroni, Public Information Officer, City of Framingham, spetroni@framinghamma.gov
