By Liam McGowan
Thermal Energy Networks (TENs) are an essential component of building decarbonization efforts here in New York – which is why the Upgrade NY coalition, lead by NYLCV, is asking the New York State Senate to appropriate $200 million through the Sustainable Future Fund to continue the next phase of building and scaling “shovel-ready” TENs across the state.
The $200 million would consist of:
- $126 million in bonded funds for TENs at various colleges and universities, and
- $74 million for capital improvements in disadvantaged communities within the planned Utility Thermal Energy Network projects.
TENs are safe, efficient, climate-friendly heating and cooling systems that deliver energy to entire neighborhoods, communities, or multiple-building campuses.
[Take one minute to help—click here to urge lawmakers to support TENs in the State Budget.]
They work by using a shared network of water-filled pipes that transfer heat in and out of buildings, utilizing a variety of energy sources like campus data centers, wastewater systems, or the stable temperature underground. If one building in a network contains excess heat, that heat is stored and then spread out to other buildings. This means TENs can operate even when the entire grid is under stress, its autonomous nature even allowing it to ease that stress during heat waves or extreme cold.
Using natural energy allows TENs to operate with zero emissions, and the high efficiency of these networks makes them extremely affordable compared to their natural-gas-using counterparts. But TENs aren’t just good for the environment, they’re also economic winners – each new project is another pathway for high-quality union jobs.
We’ve seen sustained progress on this front in recent years. Last year, the Upgrade NY coalition successfully advocated for $200 million for TENs in the State Budget – funds that were awarded for clean energy projects at SUNY Purchase, University at Buffalo, Jamestown Board of Public Utilities, SUNY Headquarters, Stony Brook University and University at Albany’s Downtown Campus.
Also last year, the University at Albany broke ground on a $30 million building decarbonization project using TENs – funding that NYLCV and the Upgrade NY coalition successfully advocated for in the FY2024 State Budget. According to the university’s website, the project is set to replace two gas-fired absorption chillers with a high-efficiency electric centrifugal chiller and a heat recovery chiller connected to a new geothermal well field in a nearby parking lot. When completed, the campus will be able to shut down its gas-fired boilers during the summer months and significantly reduce its fossil fuel consumption.
Multi-building, single-owner campuses like University at Albany are prime candidates for TENS and their success should inspire funding for similar campus decarbonization projects around New York State.
Buildings are the largest contributors of planet warming emissions in New York, so if we are going to tackle the climate crisis and meet our clean energy goals, there’s no better place to start than the state’s largest facilities. Decarbonizing just 15 of New York’s highest polluting facilities and campuses would reduce on-site combustion of fossil fuels from state-owned buildings overall by 40%.
“That would be a major achievement unto itself, but it would also spur a ton of innovation and private sector momentum towards investing in thermal energy networks and other innovative green technology while creating local union jobs,” said NYLCV President Julie Tighe. “Tapping clean energy from underground through thermal energy networks and shuttering fossil-fuel powered chillers and boilers that pollute our air and contribute to climate change – this is what our clean energy future looks like.”
After years of progress, it’s critical that the state does not lose momentum, which is why the $200 million NYLCV is advocating for is so important. Projects have been mapped out and are ready to begin construction, all they need is proper funding.
NYLCV’s policy team was in Albany last week to educate State Senators and Assemblymembers about TENs and this funding, but it is critical that lawmakers hear directly from their constituents. You can help – fill out this quick form here to send a message to your state representatives asking them to include this funding in their One-House Budgets and ultimately in the final FY27 State Budget.
By funding TENs at state-owned facilities, New York will lead by example and help usher in a new age for this clean energy technology.
Liam McGowan has been a communications fellow at the New York League of Conservation Voters since November 2025, and intern since September 2025. He is a recent graduate of the University of Vermont with a B.S. in Environmental Science (Biology concentration). During his time at UVM he assisted with projects in the Rubenstein Ecosystem Science Laboratory. To learn more about Liam, visit his LinkedIn page located here.