In October 2025, CMU broke ground on the next phase of its Thermal Energy Network (TEN) system, a means of heating and cooling CMU’s campus using geothermal energy. The project is one of the most significant geothermal expansions in recent campus history and is driven by the future of campus energy efficiency in mind.
The expansion of CMU’s TEN is taking place underneath the rugby pitch field, where crews are installing hundreds of underground wells and miles of piping that will move heat energy to and from nearby residence halls and other campus buildings, like Escalante Hall. The pipes beneath the rugby pitch allow air to optimally move between buildings, keeping them cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter based on building needs. When heat is not in use, it is stored underground.
By expanding the shared system, CMU can continue to serve more buildings with greater efficiency than traditional heating and cooling methods, and the benefits are integrated across campus in unique ways. By implementing a TEN system, CMU saves $1.5 million in energy costs each year, and $12 million since its implementation in 2008. These costs trickle down into CMU’s ability to keep student costs down and prioritize spending in other ways.
Set to be completed before Commencement in May, the new bore field will increase the campus geothermal system’s capacity by approximately 45 to 50% and 79% of campus buildings will be either fully connected or partially tapped into the geothermal grid, a significant expansion that positions CMU for long-term resilience. Come May, drilling will be finalized, the field restored and new sod installed so the area can return to full use.
The most recent phase of the TEN expansion occurred during the 2024 Spring semester. The Colorado Energy Office granted CMU a $400,000 Geothermal Energy Grant to help expand its current system to connect the Jac Kephart Fine Arts Building, the Tomlinson Library and others. CMU’s geo-exchange system is a Heat Beneath Our Feet national feature project through the Western Governors’ Association, led by Colorado Governor Jared Polis. Geo-exchange systems, like the one at CMU, showcase how heat from the earth can support the heating and cooling needs of Western states.
As the nation is in its early stage of the adoption of geo-exchange potential, CMU has long been saving energy and has plans to continue expanding its efficient heating and cooling capacity as the campus continues to grow.