Marlborough Climate Panel Unanimously Backs Search for Geothermal Feasibility Funding

MARLBOROUGH — July 7, 2026 — Marlborough Climate Resiliency Committee votes to explore funding for a geothermal feasibility study. Meeting Monday under City Council Order 26-1009726, the committee heard a presentation from Audrey Schulman, executive director of Black Swan Lab, who identified three potential thermal energy sources in the city: its two wastewater treatment plants, the New England Sports Center ice complex estimated to generate enough waste heat for roughly 600 homes, and the Boston Scientific campus as a candidate for bore-field drilling. Schulman flagged a one-time Massachusetts DEP grant covering feasibility, design, and installation of wastewater energy recovery systems — pool limited to $5 million with no announced renewal — and said the federal Inflation Reduction Act provides a direct-pay credit of 30 to 50 percent of installation costs through approximately 2035. The committee voted unanimously to explore funding sources for a wastewater energy recovery feasibility study, engaging the city's DPW, Conservation Commission, and Black Swan Lab, with city staff expected at the panel's July 21 follow-up meeting.