The Rev. Nathan Ives is pursuing a neighborhood-wide geothermal heating and cooling plan in historic Salem after a costly surprise at his Massachusetts church.
Here’s what to know
WBUR reported that a utility’s replacement of an aging gas meter sent the church’s monthly winter heating charges from $100 to $3,000.
Affordable housing, museums, offices, and retail space are among the 20 properties that would share a geothermal network with St. Peter’s-San Pedro Episcopal Church. The Heaven and Earth Project also calls for rooftop solar panels and a battery at the church, according to the outlet.
Ives enlisted residents, nonprofit leaders, and city officials to look for a way to address the higher heating costs. As WBUR noted, many participating buildings rely on natural gas or fuel oil and were built in the 1800s, which only adds to both the necessity and the challenge…