Share on LinkedInShare on LinkedIn

ARTICLE · 19 OCTOBER 2012

100% Geothermal Heating And Cooling For Pennsylvania Project

Pepper Hamilton LLP
Explore more from Pepper Hamilton LLP

Can you build a 58 unit residential building in western Pennsylvania and not use conventional HVAC systems?

United StatesEnvironment
Kenneth Joseph
Kenneth Joseph

Can you build a 58 unit residential building in western Pennsylvania and not use conventional HVAC systems?  The answer is "yes."  The newly opened Retirement Residence at Plum is such a building. The building islocated 17 miles northeast of Pittsburgh in Plum Borough and lacks a cooling tower, a boiler or any HVAC other than a ground coupled water source heat pump system common known as a "geothermal" system using 27 450 foot deep wells on the property.  A great thermal envelope makes reliance of the geothermal system practical.  The roof has an R50 rating, the triple glazed windows provide an R5 and the walls are rated at R28.  Energy Star® testing and verification protocols were used and the owner has applied for LEED® Silver certification.

We operate a free-to-view policy, asking only that you register in order to read all of our content. Please login or register to view the rest of this article.

Register for freeORLog in

Related Articles

Legal Intelligence Newsletters: sign up for the latest legal and regulatory news on your chosen topics

Read more about

Related Comparative Guides

See more popular content from

Article

Texas Governor Abbott Directs TCEQ To Freeze All Data Center Permits In A Whole-of-Government Action

Governor Greg Abbott has ordered the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to immediately halt all environmental permits for data center projects, expanding a statewide regulatory freeze that now encompasses power, water, and environmental approvals. This directive establishes strict operational mandates requiring data centers to fully fund infrastructure costs, report all resource consumption...
United StatesEnvironment
Foley & Lardner LLP
Foley & Lardner LLP
Article

Governor Abbott Orders TCEQ To Pause All Permit Issuance For Data Center Projects

Governor Abbott has ordered Texas environmental regulators to halt all data center permit issuance until grid operators complete a comprehensive audit in mid-December 2026. The sweeping directive affects not only grid-connected facilities but also fully islanded data centers relying on behind-the-meter generation, creating uncertainty for developers and their contractual obligations.
United StatesEnvironment
Bracewell LLP
Bracewell LLP
Article

Texas Governor Directs A Halt On Data Center Permitting With State Agency Audits

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has directed state agencies to halt all data center permits until comprehensive audits assess the projects' impacts on electric infrastructure, residential ratepayers, and water resources. The directive requires data centers to fully fund necessary electric infrastructure and comply with enhanced reporting requirements, while the governor signals potential legislative action to codify new protections and phase out certain tax incentives.
United StatesEnvironment
Greenberg Traurig
Greenberg Traurig
Article

Governor Signs Seven Data Center Bills Addressing Energy And Noise Reporting, Water Use, Labor Standards, Electricity Rates, And CEQA Review

California has enacted seven unprecedented bills targeting data center development, imposing sweeping new requirements for energy reporting, water consumption assessments, labor standards, and electricity rate structures. These laws fundamentally reshape the regulatory landscape for data centers, requiring detailed disclosures at multiple project stages while prohibiting categorical CEQA exemptions and establishing new interconnection rules that shift infrastructure costs directly to developers.
United StatesEnvironment
Cox, Castle & Nicholson
Cox, Castle & Nicholson
Article

District Court Enjoins EPA From Reclassifying California’s Clean Air Act Waivers

A federal district court has preliminarily enjoined the EPA from reclassifying California's Clean Air Act preemption waiver orders as "rules" subject to the Congressional Review Act. The court found that EPA's reclassification likely violated the Administrative Procedure Act and exceeded the agency's authority, though the order does not prevent Congress from proceeding with pending disapproval resolutions.
United StatesEnvironment
Arnold & Porter
Arnold & Porter
Article

EPA Issues Decisions On Small Refinery Exemptions

The EPA has released decisions on 34 small refinery exemption petitions from 2025, granting full or partial exemptions that total 1.76 million RINs - significantly more than initially estimated. This discrepancy has prompted the agency to announce a new rulemaking that will reallocate 100 percent of exempted volumes to 2026 and 2027 renewable volume obligations, potentially increasing compliance burdens for nonexempt obligated parties.
United StatesEnvironment
Holland & Knight
Holland & Knight
Article

Federal Court Holds New York’s Climate Superfund Law Preempted By CAA

A federal court has struck down New York's Climate Change Superfund Act, which sought to recover $75 billion from fossil fuel companies based on historical emissions. The ruling found the Act preempted by the Clean Air Act, marking the first judicial decision on state climate superfund legislation and establishing that EPA's rescission of the endangerment finding does not alter preemption analysis.
United StatesEnvironment
Jones Day
Jones Day