On April 25, 2023, the Department of Energy announced that 11 communities across 10 states will receive funding to design geothermal heating and cooling systems.[1] Geothermal systems utilize the relatively stable temperatures underground to transfer heat into buildings in the winter and out of them in the summer through a distribution network of underground pipes. These systems run on electricity, though they do not substantially increase electricity demand. The announcement represents the first of two phases in a $13 million initiative to support the design and deployment of community geothermal heating and cooling systems. The projects are part of the Biden administration’s Justice40 initiative, which sets a goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities.

Communities selected by the DOE include Ann Arbor, Michigan; Chicago, Illinois; New York City, New York; Duluth, Minnesota; Framingham, Massachusetts; Wallingford, Connecticut; Carbondale, Colorado; Middlebury, Vermont; Seward, Alaska; Shawnee, Oklahoma; and Nome, Alaska. The 11 selected projects include more than 60 partners across the U.S.

[1] https://www.energy.gov/articles/doe-announces-13-million-support-community-geothermal-heating-and-cooling-solutions