Climate Resiliency Committee votes to explore thermal-energy feasibility after Black Swan Lab presentation

The Climate Resiliency Committee voted unanimously to pursue feasibility work and funding options for thermal-energy systems after a presentation from Black Swan Lab on local opportunities and grants.

Black Swan Lab’s presenter explained that thermal or district energy networks pair heat pumps with underground pipes or wastewater heat exchangers to provide heating and cooling more efficiently than conventional air-source heat pumps. The presenter said such systems can use boreholes (300–600 feet deep), wastewater treatment plants or waste heat from facilities such as ice rinks and estimated that each ice rink can supply heat for about 50 homes. The presenter identified two wastewater treatment plants, the New England Sports Center’s cluster of rinks, and major local employers such as Boston Scientific as candidate anchor sites in Marlborough City.

The presentation included funding pathways: the presenter said a current MassDEP (Department of Environmental Protection) rolling grant for wastewater-energy recovery exists and described an IRA-related tax credit for borehole installations that the presenter estimated at roughly 30–50% of installation cost. Committee members and the presenter also referenced an environmental bond bill under consideration that a member said includes $15,000,000 for thermal-energy programs; the meeting transcript records differing figures cited by speakers about grant pools and feasibility-grant sizes.

During discussion, members raised implementation questions: whether capped landfills and conservation land could be used for boreholes (the presenter warned Article 97 review may apply to state land), how to manage pipe installation and street disturbance, who would pay for costly building retrofits and heat-pump installations, and options for municipal ownership versus utility or third-party models. The presenter recommended targeting anchor customers, sequencing installations, and applying quickly to competitive grant programs that favor projects serving underserved or environmental-justice communities.

Committee member Mark moved to "explore the feasibility, to explore funding sources for a feasibility," specifically including outreach to Black Swan Lab; the chair seconded. The motion, which did not commit municipal funds, carried unanimously. The committee asked staff to invite DPW representatives (Priscilla Ryder and Ted) to the next meeting to clarify permitting and to assemble the technical numbers needed for grant applications.

Next steps: committee members will pursue the MassDEP wastewater-energy recovery grant pathway as a near-term option while the group scopes whether a larger, utility-scale feasibility study is necessary; Black Swan Lab offered technical and grant-writing assistance. The committee scheduled a follow-up meeting in two weeks.