Rochester District Heating asks city for $35,000 match to study geothermal system for Inner Loop North redevelopment

Rochester District Heating (RDH) asked the City of Rochester for a $35,000 match to complete a NYSERDA-funded scoping study that would evaluate a central geothermal bore field and distribution network for the Inner Loop North redevelopment.

The study, RDH General Manager John Deschano said, has an estimated cost of $138,000 and would be 75% funded by NYSERDA, leaving a $35,000 local match. "We supply superheated steam to 50 buildings in the city of Rochester," Deschano said, describing RDH as "a member-owned nonprofit cooperative" established in 1985 that operates a city steam distribution system and is exploring electrification and decarbonization options.

The request matters because the study will assess whether a shared geothermal exchange can enable new buildings in Inner Loop North to be constructed as fully electrified under New York's all-electric building laws. "It would allow for those buildings to be built as electrified buildings for the All Electric Buildings Act," Deschano said, and RDH hopes a…