Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts, says it will indefinitely pause construction of its geothermal pump hub — the heart of its $180 million effort to build a carbon-neutral heating and cooling system — because of uncertainties with potential tariffs and economic downturn.
The Greenfield Recorder reports that the hub, which consists of heating and cooling pumps that run on solar power, is planned for a site next to All Saints’ Episcopal Church, but spokesperson Christian Feuerstein says the decision to pause construction means that the location may change.
Mount Holyoke is investing $180 million into building a carbon-neutral heating and cooling system for all of its academic and residential buildings using ground-source heat pumps and 600-foot-deep bores under its rugby field. The project also calls for insulation improvements, window replacement and air conditioning installations in the college’s buildings.
Planning for the project started in 2019, and construction of the 26 miles of distribution piping began in 2023. Just before stopping the project, the college had finished the first part of Phase 3, and will continue digging underground bores until October.
Some South Hadley residents have raised environmental and noise concerns about the project.
