The Maine legislature has passed a bill that moves the state one step closer to developing thermal energy networks for home heating and cooling.
Thermal energy networks are underground systems that draw heat from natural sources like the earth, lakes, or wastewater systems, transferring it into or out of buildings as needed via buried heatpumps.
Sometimes also called 'network geothermal', these energy systems have been used in small towns and college campuses in place of gas heating and air conditioning. Thermal can work particularly well in cooler climates. A recent pilot in Massachusetts showed a 20% reduction in energy costs, and around a 60% decrease in carbon emissions for residents on the system.
The Governor's Energy Office will form a commission to assess the potential for geothermal in Maine, with a report and recommendations by January 2026.