April 13, 2026 – The Environmental League of Massachusetts submitted comments to the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU) regarding Eversource’s petition to establish the first regulatory framework and rate for networked geothermal services in Massachusetts (DPU 25-86). ELM supports the strategic growth of networked geothermal, an emerging solution poised to efficiently and effectively heat and cool neighborhoods across the Commonwealth.
ELM supports Eversource’s leadership in advancing networked geothermal as a critical tool for decarbonizing the Massachusetts’ heating sector. The Framingham Pilot – the first utility-scale networked geothermal project in the United States – demonstrated both the promise of this technology and the value of strong collaboration with community partners like Home Energy Efficiency Team (“HEET”).
ELM’s comments identify two key areas for improvement in the proposed framework. First, the proposed rate should be designed as interim, not permanent. Networked geothermal is still in early development, and is expected to see significant cost declines as the technology scales. A rate structure anchored to natural gas costs will not track actual geothermal economics over time. Second, the framework should include robust data-sharing requirements to support transparency, accelerate learning, and reduce costs for future projects across the state.
“Massachusetts has an opportunity to lead the nation in deploying networked geothermal,” said Amy Boyd Rabin, ELM’s Vice President of Policy & Regulatory Affairs. “Getting the regulatory foundation right is critical. An interim rate sends a strong market signal that Massachusetts is ready to scale this technology and data sharing will ensure responsible ratepayer protections that deliver long-term value.”
ELM calls on the DPU to designate any approved rate as interim and subject to revision, and to require the Company to submit project cost and performance data to a third-party repository to inform future development.
Read ELM’s full comments here.
