Thermal Energy Networks in the United States: Emerging Opportunities, Challenges, and Needs

This report draws on research and 40 interviews with a diverse range of stakeholders — including government agencies, environmental justice organizations, energy democracy groups, TENs advocates, labor organizations, legal advisors, and industry representatives — in order to explore the following questions: 1) What is the scale and breadth of policy action around TENs in the United States; 2) What are the various ownership models we’re seeing with TENs development; 3) What are the equity and environmental justice perspectives on TENs; and 4) What is the potential of TENs to advance energy democracy. The goal is to inform stakeholders about strategies for scaling this technology in a way that advances equity, environmental justice, and energy democracy.