Geothermal Network Delivers Affordable, Eco-Friendly Comfort in Massachusetts

A remarkable collaboration in Framingham, Massachusetts has resulted in an innovative geothermal heating and cooling system that is delivering cleaner, more affordable comfort to local residents. This first-of-its-kind project, which launched last year, connects around three dozen homes and town buildings to a network of underground pipes and shared boreholes that tap into the Earth's stable temperatures.

By circulating fluid through this network, the system is able to extract heat from the ground when it's cold outside and dump excess heat when it's hot, feeding into electric heat pumps in each building. This approach allows the heat pumps to work much more efficiently than battling extreme outdoor temperatures, resulting in significant energy savings for homeowners.

One resident, a retired teacher named Carol Canova, was amazed to find that "every place in the house was the same temperature" and that her overall heating and cooling costs were lower than with a traditional gas system. In fact, Canova says getting the new geothermal system installed for free through the utility company's pilot program "felt like winning the lottery."

The innovative concept was actually proposed by local climate activists, who saw an opportunity to swap out leaky gas lines for a clean, reliable geothermal network. Working with the utility provider, Eversource, they were able to bring this vision to life. Now, just one year later, the project's success has led to plans to double its size in 2026, demonstrating the potential for this technology to transform home comfort across the region.