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Reliable tech: From small towns in Iowa to college campuses in Minnesota, district geothermal has been operating in our climate for decades. Now, it’s available to you.
Geothermal
Get cleaner heating and cooling for buildings — reducing emissions, improving efficiency, and supporting sustainable communities.
What is Geothermal?
For over a decade, offices and universities have been heating and cooling their buildings with zero-carbon geothermal. Soon, that technology will be available to CEF members.
District geothermal is an ultra-efficient, zero-emissions way to heat and cool buildings. It relies on the stable temperature of the earth underground to heat buildings in the winter and cool them in the summer. A network of underground pipes carries this thermal resource to individual buildings, where a heat pump conditions each building to its users desired temperature. District geothermal is over 4x as efficient as a natural gas furnace, often reaching efficiencies of 6-8x.
We are exploring several district geothermal projects around the Twin Cities. Want to join us?
Smaller users can sign up for our newsletter to get updates on these projects!
Large users (20,000 sq ft. or larger) can submit a geothermal interest form by clicking the button below.
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Program Benefits
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Low or no carbon:
Heat buildings in weather down to -40* – no fossil fuels required.
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Gas out for good:
Geothermal heating paves the way to entirely remove natural gas from buildings, reducing risks of asthma in children and lung disease in adults.
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Lock in predictable rates:
Unlike fossil fuel systems, geothermal has low, stable operating costs, letting users lock in rates for a decade or more if they choose.
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Local ownership:
The gas system is owned by a monopoly utility accountable. CEF Geothermal will be owned by the people who use it, keeping money and power in our community.
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National Leadership:
CEF’s Geothermal will be the first project in the nation letting that gives regular people access to the benefits of geothermal energy. Let’s show it’s possible!