Bloomington made the cut. CenterPoint Energy told the City Council that a Bloomington site is 1 of 3 finalists for its networked geothermal heating and cooling pilot.
City of Bloomington@CityofBloomingtonMNCenterPoint Energy told the council that a Bloomington site is one of three finalists for a networked geothermal heating and cooling pilot.09/28
The money comes through Minnesota's Natural Gas Innovation Act, a state law that lets gas utilities spend on lower-carbon alternatives to their usual business. That makes a gas company paying to help buildings stop burning gas a little less strange than it sounds.
Here's how it works. A networked geothermal system relies on the fairly steady temperature of the earth. Water moves through underground pipes to electric heat pumps in several connected buildings. In winter the system pulls warmth up into the buildings. In summer it pushes heat back down into the ground. Instead of a furnace and an air conditioner in every building, many buildings share 1 system.
How we got here: the pilot is part of CenterPoint's innovation plan, which the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission approved in 2024. The plan includes 17 pilot projects and 7 research and development initiatives. The company says it should cut about 1.1 million tons of carbon emissions over the lives of its projects. CenterPoint launched the geothermal pilot in late 2024 and began talking with local governments about hosting it. It hired 2 consulting firms, Resource Innovations and Salas O'Brien, to help pick a site and study whether a system would work there.
Brad Steber, CenterPoint's vice president for Minnesota gas, said the company "looks forward to developing our first networked geothermal system in Minnesota to demonstrate how this technology could support customers in both winter and summer while helping meet the state's decarbonization efforts."
Where it stands: Bloomington is a finalist, not the winner. If the Bloomington site is picked, expect the city to come back with agreements to approve. This story will be updated as the decision gets closer.
From the meeting: City Council Meeting, September 28, 2026.
