Contractors in White Plains began drilling the first of eight wells that will tap temperatures 350 feet below the surface to heat and cool 14 townhouses that will be built on the site as reported by the Journal News. This ground-breaking housing plan will combine geothermal energy with hyper-efficient insulation, plumbing and lighting to reduce energy bills by one-third. In addition, the Community Housing Innovations will pass state and city subsidies for middle-income buyers in the region which will essentially make housing more affordable. Project developer Alexander Roberts explains that geothermal technology uses the Earth's relatively constant temperatures to draw heat from below during the winter and from buildings during the summer.

            While geothermal energy has been used for several decades, rising fuel costs and a growing awareness of the damage caused to the environment by burning fossil fuels have contributed to an increased interest in using geothermal energy as a substitute for gas. At the same time, White Plains has already started working on other green projects. For instance, the city will fuel eight General Motors vehicles with hydrogen pumped from a small plant that extracts the gas from water in a pilot project with Shell. In addition, Public Works Commissioner Bud Nicoletti suggested installing solar panels on garages after the state Legislature agreed to allow businesses and municipalities with the panels to sell their excess power back to utilities. Although the Minerva Housing Project will cost an estimated $4.6 million, Roberts assures people that it will provide affordable housing and he pledges to expand the use of geothermal energy in future projects.