Columbia University has been granted a permit to drill a closed-loop geothermal test bore to a depth of 800 feet (243 meters) by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Division of Mineral Resources (DMR). This is the first such permit that allows drilling to this depth in the State of New York.

Vertical heat exchange is being explored as a means for the decarbonization of the Manhattanville campus of Columbia University as part of the institution’s sustainability goals.

Due to the comparatively smaller surface footprints available on typically constrained Manhattan project sites, deeper bore depths are required for optimal system performance and efficiency. DMR permitting was coordinated by the engineering firm Salas O’Brien, with the support of Brightcore Energy LLC.

Hany Ayoub, Deputy Vice President of Manhattanville Development, Columbia University: “Columbia University fervently embraces the utilization of renewable resources in all our new development projects, signifying our steadfast commitment to break free from fossil fuel dependence and actualize our decarbonization goals. 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.

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.”

Jeff Urlaub, PE, Salas O’Brien Principal: “The State of New York is ahead of most of the nation in supporting transformational decarbonization, enabled by renewable energy strategies such as geothermal heat exchange. Columbia University is demonstrating the viability of geothermal for New York City.”

Mike Richter, President of Brightcore Energy: “We are so very pleased with this permit award. For obvious reasons, the engineering plan receives extra scrutiny and speaks volumes to the expertise and capabilities of our geothermal team.”

Earlier this year, numerous allied organizations including the New York Geothermal Energy Organization (NY-GEO) called for the passage of legislation which seeks to remove outdated regulatory requirements that unnecessarily place geothermal boreholes under regulatory requirements designed for oil and gas drilling. S6604 has since been substituted by A6949 and has passed the Senate.