Vermont Gas Funds Geothermal for Affordable Housing — SkimNews
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- Vermont Gas (VGS) and Dandelion Energy are bringing geothermal heating and cooling to Riggs Meadow, a 44-unit affordable housing development in Hinesburg, Vermont for low- and moderate-income renters and owners.
- VGS will pay upfront for and own the underground ground loops, removing a substantial installation expense from Champlain Housing Trust and Evernorth, the project's developers, who explored heating and cooling options with the utility before bringing Dandelion in.
- Dandelion Energy will handle the geothermal work, including system design and drilling, with CEO Dan Yates calling utility-owned ground loops a "practical, immediate solution to decarbonize housing."
- The geothermal system will serve four multifamily buildings containing 36 of the development's 44 homes, with each building getting its own ground loop, per VGS's April announcement.
- Under VGS's broader Clover Energy geothermal offering, customers own the indoor equipment and pay a monthly fee to use the ground loops, though specific pricing for Riggs Meadow residents has not been announced.
- Drilling is scheduled to begin in early 2027, with residents expected to move into the homes in late 2027.
Why it matters: Geothermal's high upfront drilling cost has kept it out of affordable housing, but VGS owning the ground loops shifts that capital burden onto the utility — potentially giving the gas company an all-electric heating play while letting 36 low- and moderate-income homes access geothermal at 44 units in Hinesburg by late 2027.
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