Commercial, Sourcing Renewables  -  August 17, 2023

Columbia University Granted Deep-Drilling Geothermal Permit

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Division of Mineral Resources (DMR) granted Columbia University a permit to drill a closed-loop geothermal test bore to a depth of 800 feet in the State of New York. 

This is the first permit to drill to this depth for this purpose, which is required for optimal system performance and efficiency.

DMR permitting was coordinated by the engineering firm Salas O’Brien and with the support of Brightcore Energy LLC.

“Even as we expand our campus footprint at Manhattanville we seek to lead on climate with innovative solutions that will ensure we will meet the science-based targets set forth in Plan 2030, our 10-year sustainability plan that aligns the University with the Paris Agreement and commits it to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 or sooner,” said Hany Ayoub, Deputy Vice President of Manhattanville Development at Columbia University, in a statement. "To that end, the groundbreaking 800-foot depth bore will unlock vital geothermal exchange field capacity insights, forming the foundation of our design approach to fulfill the heating demands of a prominent facility currently in development. Moreover, the invaluable data obtained from the geothermal test bore will further assess the possibility of exporting surplus thermal capacity to our campus’ central energy facility, bolstering our overall decarbonization strategies.”