Chancellor King Highlights SUNY's Climate and Sustainability Investments to Advance Geothermal Energy
August 20, 2026
During a Visit to SUNY Oswego, Chancellor King Highlighted Geothermal System Investments
SUNY has Reduced Greenhouse Emissions System-Wide from On-Site, Purchased Energy, and Fleet Vehicle Emissions by Over 40% Compared to 1990 Levels
Oswego, NY — State University of New York Chancellor John B. King Jr. today highlighted SUNY's climate and sustainability excellence and investments being made to reduce energy usage. During a visit to SUNY Oswego's Hewitt Hall, Chancellor King reviewed work to expand usage of geothermal systems to provide renewable energy to the facilities within the building. Chancellor King, SUNY Oswego President Peter O. Nwosu, and SUNY Chief Sustainability Officer Carter Strickland were also briefed on current geothermal well drilling and campus plans to implement geothermal energy during other renovation and construction projects.
Across SUNY's state-operated campuses, greenhouse emissions from on-site, purchased energy, and fleet vehicles have been reduced by over 40 percent compared to 1990 levels, and at SUNY Oswego they have gone down by over 45 percent.
"SUNY is committed to helping build a sustainable and resilient future for New York State and to serving as a leader in climate protection and advancing green technology," said SUNY Chancellor King. "System-wide, SUNY is working to make capital improvements that modernize facilities, reduce fossil fuel usage, and help the state meet climate sustainability goals. With strong support from Governor Kathy Hochul and the State Legislature, SUNY can be an example to the rest of the nation on how meaningful investments can lead to long-term savings and climate resiliency."
The SUNY Board of Trustees said, "SUNY campuses throughout New York State have taken steps to reduce energy usage through climate-conscious investments and sustainability efforts. We applaud the investments being made at SUNY Oswego and look forward to having more SUNY campuses undertake meaningful capital improvements to lower energy usage and costs."
The renovation of SUNY Oswego's Hewitt Hall began in 2021, and the building was reopened in August 2025. Hewitt Hall houses SUNY Oswego's School of Communication, Media, and the Arts, and renovations were made possible by $80 million in funding from New York State through the SUNY Construction Fund. In addition to the renovations to the studios, labs, and other facilities in the building, Hewitt Hall also includes a geothermal system that provides renewable energy to the building. SUNY Oswego achieved a 48 percent reduction in Hewitt Hall's site annual energy consumption. This efficiency is driven by a dedicated geothermal field featuring 90 six-inch boreholes drilled 500 feet deep each. The related operation required 8.5 miles of drilling to install 18.8 miles of piping.
A $30 million climate resiliency grant, allocated by Governor Hochul from the Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act, is extending this work through a thermal network to Mahar Hall, Culkin Hall, the Penfield Library, and the Lanigan Lecture Center renovations, which will allow those projects to incorporate geothermal technology.
SUNY Oswego President Peter O. Nwosu said, "We have made sustainability and renewable energy a strategic priority as we renew and modernize our facilities and infrastructure because it strengthens our campus, our region, and New York State. By reducing our reliance on fossil fuels, improving efficiency, and lowering our carbon footprint, we are making investments that deliver long-term environmental and economic benefits while enhancing the educational experience for our students. We appreciate SUNY and New York State for their partnership in advancing our commitment to advancing a more resilient and sustainable future for our region and New York."
Geothermal systems transfer heat both to and from the ground, maintaining a relatively constant year-round temperature. A buried loop of fluid-filled pipes extract heat from the earth to warm buildings in winter while cooling buildings in the summer by transferring indoor heat back into the ground. The closed-loop system connects to heat pump and distribution network to deliver conditioned air or water through facilities via ducts or radiant heating.
Currently, 23 campuses across the SUNY system use geothermal systems, often on a building-by-building approach. Thermal energy networks are even more efficient because their piping systems tie together multiple buildings that can exchange heating and cooling. In addition to using the consistent temperature of the earth, such networks can also blend multiple thermal sources and use wasted heat from cooling towers, wastewater effluent, data centers, and other sources. Over the past three years the State has invested $230 million to build out thermal energy networks at SUNY campuses.
Allison Considine, New York Director for the Building Decarbonization Coalition said, "Today's announcement shows what is possible when labor, government and our public institutions work together to build New York's energy future. This first-of-its-kind project labor agreement between SUNY and the Pipefitters will put skilled union members to work building one of New York's most significant thermal energy networks, creating family-sustaining jobs, modernizing public infrastructure and demonstrating a path to lower long-term energy costs for taxpayers. We thank SUNY Oswego President Peter Nwosu and SUNY Chancellor John King for their leadership and commitment to making this project a reality. From Buffalo to Long Island, New York can and should continue investing in thermal energy networks, and we are excited for SUNY Oswego to show what this technology and the union workforce building it can deliver."
SUNY has worked to advance leadership in sustainability and climate solutions. In April, SUNY celebrated progress in achieving the goals of its inaugural Climate and Sustainability Action Plan, which was adopted at the beginning of 2025 and provides a framework for decarbonizing the SUNY System, and for creating the next generation of climate leaders through education, experiential learning, research, workforce development, and civic engagement. The plan includes 156 specific actions and strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, doubling climate research, strengthening climate education, increasing green workforce development, and expanding engagement and applied learning opportunities for students.
To further advance climate and sustainability, SUNY announced the recipients of the SUNY Sustainability Awards, which recognize undergraduate students throughout the SUNY System for the work they have done to advance sustainability on their campuses, in February. In October 2025, SUNY announced the launch of SUNY's "Outdoors for All" program to promote inclusive engagement with the environment, fellow students, and wellness. In September 2025, SUNY announced the inaugural class of SUNY's Sustainability Faculty Fellows to assist other faculty in incorporating climate and sustainability topics into existing courses and develop new applied learning opportunities. In March 2024, SUNY announced a uniform policy to phase out single-use plastics across the SUNY system including plastic bags, beverage bottles, food service products, utensils, plastic wrap, and packaging films.
About the State University of New York
The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, and more than 95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNY’s 64 colleges and universities. Across the system, SUNY has four academic health centers, five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the country’s oldest school of maritime, the state's only college of optometry, 12 Educational Opportunity Centers, over 30 ATTAIN digital literacy labs, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.7 million students across its portfolio of credit- and non-credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Research expenditures system-wide are nearly $1.5 billion in fiscal year 2025, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and annually one in three New Yorkers who earn a college degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunities, visit suny.edu.
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