Daily Hampshire Gazette
Summary
A geothermal energy project to heat and cool all buildings on the Amherst College campus is underway, with some of the upcoming work of boring holes down 850 feet to be visible for passers-by on College Street throughout 2025.
These will support the ground-sourced heating system, powered by electric heat pumps, allowing energy to be drawn from the earth and heated to the required temperatures using electricity. These will be used for installing a closed-loop geothermal well system connected to the electric heat pumps.
“Transitioning the College’s heating and cooling system is both transformative and a crucial part of decarbonizing our campus energy system that will benefit the College for decades to come,” President Michael A. Elliott said at the time.
The $80 million investment will convert the power plant to run entirely using geothermal energy. Currently, the college’s plant burns fossil fuels, either natural gas or oil, which creates steam that goes through steam lines to all campus buildings.
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