Salas O’Brien will lead a six-firm team exploring local waterways as energy sources to deliver clean energy for heating and cooling and lower energy costs
BOSTON, July 9, 2026–The Boston Green Ribbon Commission (GRC) is taking a major step forward in exploring the potential use of Boston Harbor and other local waters as sources of affordable, clean, and reliable thermal energy by naming a team of engineering, energy, and finance experts to analyze and develop the plan.
Called BosTEN (Boston-Area Thermal Energy Network), the concept explores using the waters of Boston Harbor, the Fort Point Channel, the Charles and Mystic Rivers, and the bedrock beneath the rivers as a thermal energy source to provide winter heating and summer cooling to universities, hospitals, and other large energy users through a closed-loop network.
The year-long project aims to demonstrate that thermal energy networks (TENs) can deliver long-term cost savings, lower emissions, and reduce peak demand on gas and electric infrastructure as Massachusetts transitions to a cleaner energy economy. Already in use in Canada and Europe, these systems can also help ease strain on the electric grid as energy demand continues to grow.
Following a competitive RFP process, Salas O’Brien, a leading firm in the decarbonization and energy master planning sectors with extensive experience in thermal energy networks, has been retained by the GRC to lead the analysis. Salas O’Brien is engaging five specialty subcontractors to cover engineering, environmental permitting, and financial aspects of the project: Sherwood Design Engineers, Synapse Energy Economics, Sasaki, GeoSource, and VHB.
GRC Executive Director Lindsey Butler said: “For months, the GRC has been actively exploring the BosTEN vision with several of the city’s major institutions and largest energy users. With this robust team of technical experts led by Salas O’Brien, we can advance a revolutionary plan to decarbonize large buildings with a clean, renewable, all-local energy source.’’
As announced in April, the BosTEN feasibility analysis is being funded with a grant from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC), in partnership with the City of Boston.
“Water-sourced thermal energy networks have tremendous potential to provide affordable renewable energy for our buildings and neighborhoods,” said Brian Swett, Chief Climate Officer for the City of Boston. “I am excited to leverage the technical support of Salas O’Brien to further evaluate how the thermal energy in Boston’s harbor and rivers can help us achieve our decarbonization, energy affordability, and climate resilience goals.”
“Thermal energy networks are gaining momentum in communities around the world, and Boston’s waterways represent a unique, significant opportunity to scale this technology for some of the city’s largest energy users while also reducing pressure on the grid ,” said Mass Clean Energy Center CEO Ben Downing. We’re proud to support the GRC and this team of experts as they build out the technical and economic case for BosTEN.”
“Thermal energy networks have the potential to transform how cities decarbonize heating and cooling,” said Rob McKenna, Principal and Director of Planning at Salas O’Brien. “Boston’s waterways represent a unique local energy resource, and we’re excited to work with the Green Ribbon Commission and project partners to evaluate practical, scalable pathways for delivering reliable, affordable, and low-carbon energy at scale.”
Some of the key questions Salas O’Brien and teammates will explore include:
- How much clean thermal energy can be reliably extracted from and stored in the identified thermal reservoirs?
- How can this thermal energy be distributed to campuses and integrated into existing building energy systems?
- Which BosTEN component projects would be most economically feasible for investors?
- What policy and/or regulatory changes could be needed to enable the development and operation of BosTEN?
The GRC is aiming to have a final report published in the second half of 2027. Many GRC members will be contributing the equivalent of tens of thousands of dollars in additional consulting services through providing pro-bono input and counsel from their top energy and decarbonization specialists.
Salas O’Brien and other team members have participated in several thermal energy projects locally including Eversource’s City of Framingham utility-scale networked geothermal, the City of Cambridge geothermal network pilot project, Boston Housing Authority’s Franklin Field geothermal energy network, and the preparation for Vicinity Energy’s industrial heat pump complex in Kendall Square, Cambridge.
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About the Boston Green Ribbon Commission
The mission of the Green Ribbon Commission is to accelerate the implementation of the City’s Climate Action Plan by convening, organizing, and enabling leaders from Boston’s key sectors. The City of Boston is committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050, even as the city grows. The GRC provides a forum for representatives of the private sector and the City to discuss, plan, and act on the opportunities, challenges, ideas, and requirements of preparing Boston for climate change. To learn more, visit www.greenribboncommission.org or follow us on LinkedIn.
About Salas O’Brien
Salas O’Brien is an employee-owned engineering and technical services firm focused on advancing the human experience through the built environment. Our team is engineered for impact®, helping clients solve complex engineering challenges with a focus on efficiency, resiliency, and sustainability, while advancing our team members through growth and opportunity. The company has been ranked as a top firm by both Engineering News-Record and Consulting-Specifying Engineer and has appeared on the Inc. 5000 list of North America’s fastest-growing private companies for over a decade.