Across Pennsylvania, colleges and universities are experiencing rising energy costs and challenges from aging power infrastructure. These issues strain budgets, leaving fewer resources available for students, facilities and services. In response, institutions nationwide are starting to find new innovative solutions, like Swarthmore College in Delaware County, which is replacing its natural gas steam systems with a large-scale thermal energy network (TEN).

TENs provide clean and affordable heating and cooling to multiple buildings through underground piping systems. Unlike traditional methods, they draw heat from sustainable thermal energy sources, such as geothermal, waste heat, or the air. By leveraging this technology, college campuses can transition away from inefficient systems, reduce long-term operating costs and create a healthier environment for their students and surrounding communities. There are significant financial savings, but high upfront costs remain an obstacle for TENs adoption. A targeted state investment can help change that.

That is why I am proposing to create the Higher Education Thermal Energy Network (HETEN) Grant Program. Administered by the Department of Community and Economic Development, the program will issue grants and loans to Pennsylvania’s State System Universities, and other state-related institutions, to support TENs projects on campus. Funding will cover costs for design or scoping studies, as well as equipment purchases for TEN installations, helping to bring this game-changing technology to colleges and universities throughout the Commonwealth.

Last session, the Solar for Schools Grant Program became law with bipartisan support, and I believe we can achieve similar success with this legislation. I ask that you please join me in co-sponsoring this important proposal to reduce energy consumption and costs, improve our environment, and create local family-sustaining jobs.