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Supporters push grants, clarify utility role for thermal energy networks as pilot projects move forward
Summary
State and utility witnesses told the committee that thermal energy networks (district geothermal/"TENS") can lower heating costs and emissions; utilities asked that natural gas distributors be explicitly allowed to participate and that pilot projects and procurement pathways be clarified.
Several witnesses on Feb. 27 urged Connecticut lawmakers to authorize and fund thermal energy network pilots that would deliver district-scale geothermal heating and cooling. Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Commissioner Katie Dykes told the Energy & Technology Committee that DEEP supports House Bill 6929 to create a grant and loan program for thermal energy networks (TENS) and called for clarification of utility ownership questions and procurement authority.
Dykes and DEEP staff described TENS as district-scale systems built around shared geothermal wells and piping that can serve multiple buildings, reduce emissions and lower energy costs through higher system efficiency and dispatchability. DEEP—s deputy commissioner for energy, Joe DeNicola, explained the technical advantage of ground-source systems over air-source heat pumps: belowground temperatures are more stable and, when paired with storage, can be charged when power prices are low and discharged when prices rise.
Eversource described its Framingham, Mass., pilot for a community thermal project and asked that HB 6929 clarify that natural gas distribution companies may own and operate networks and be eligible for program funds. Eversource—s manager of clean technologies, Eric Bosworth, described the Framingham project—s first-season operation and said scaling benefits bring per-customer costs down on later phases. He also noted that utility expertise in trenching, fusion and hydraulic operations transfers well to closed-loop geothermal piping.
Conservation and environmental groups, including the Sierra Club and Conservation Law Foundation, asked for funding in the draft bill and for eligibility that includes municipalities and non-utility stakeholders, not only investor-owned utilities. They and several municipal legislators said the program could provide important local benefits where dense building loads and existing infrastructure make TENS viable.
Questions for the committee remain about pilot design and cost recovery. Utilities urged statutory clarity on ownership and cost-recovery mechanisms so regulated companies can propose pilot projects to PURA or under DEEP programs. DEEP and witnesses also flagged pipeline-replacement budgets and other regulated spending as potential sources to consider for pilot funding where feasible. The committee will weigh clarifying language about who may own and operate TENS and whether pilot proposals should come through PURA.
