Above, a photo of the Geothermal project at Skinner Green. Photo by Ella Shelton'26.
By Paige Comeau ’26
Opinion Editor
As the Mount Holyoke College campus has become populated with students arriving for the fall semester, some may have noticed the ongoing construction throughout the grounds. Places like Skinner Green, Mary Woolley Hall and the Reese Psychology and Education building continue to be renovated while students, staff and faculty live and work across campus.
The construction, which began over a year ago, is a result of the College’s ongoing geothermal energy project, which College hopes will help reach the Sustainability Task Force’s goal of a carbon-neutral campus by 2037. The project began in 2018 when a directive to reach carbon neutrality by the College’s bicentennial was approved by the Board of Trustees. This directive planned to reduce carbon emissions by replacing old and outdated infrastructure with an advanced, cost-effective and renewable energy source for heating and cooling. After working with external consultants to decide on the best system, in 2021 the College settled on “a ground source heat pump system with a geo-exchange array,” or geothermal energy.
In a recent email update to students, Mount Holyoke President Danielle R. Holley stated that the geothermal project has entered its second phase following the large amounts of work done to campus infrastructure over the summer. According to a statement emailed to Mount Holyoke News by Associate Vice President for Facilities Management Karla Youngblood FP ’99, “Communications on the next phase of work will start later in the semester.”
Geothermal energy uses water as a conduit to repel heat from buildings in the summer and store it underground for the campus to use in the winter, according to the College’s website. The water is then pushed around campus using heat pumps on the ground level, as well as bore holes and exchange loops much deeper underground. This system differs from other renewable resources like solar or wind power as it does not depend on certain conditions to produce energy. Ultimately, the College claims on its website that the efficiency of this system will result in “lower energy consumption, reduced reliance on fossil fuels, and ultimately lower utility bills.”
As announced last February by Youngblood, work on buildings and residence halls began in mid-March to prepare them for an updated heating and cooling system. These buildings included Blanchard, Brigham, Porter and Safford halls.
Shortly afterwards in May, electrical work began in Reese and the Science Center. Although this construction occurred while staff and students were still on campus, there were no reported interruptions in utilities. Work was contained to the daytime, between the hours of 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. Construction to the heating systems under Skinner Green also began during this time, resulting in the area getting blocked off to students during much of the Spring 2023 semester.
Beginning in June, several other residence halls and buildings were closed off for construction either in or around the premises, including Wilder, Mead, Chapin, North Rockefeller, South Rockefeller and Mary Woolley halls. This work was largely confined to the basements of these buildings, as well as large trenches dug around the buildings, in order to demolish the old heating systems and install new ones in their places. Due to this construction, much of Blanchard Circle, Rockefeller Road, Gateway Road and Chapin Road were closed off for the summer. Pedestrian walkways were rerouted for on-campus students and workers.
In August, construction crews began demobilizing their work so residence halls could be opened in time for student arrivals. According to an email sent out by Holley on Sept. 4, updated heating systems are now in place in nearly all of those buildings. As of this publication, no residence buildings are currently being worked on for the geothermal project. The construction of new student rooms on the first floor of North and South Rockefeller halls as announced last spring is still underway, although much of the floor, such as hallways and common rooms, remains within student use.
Construction in Mary Woolley, Reese and the Science Center is still ongoing, mainly focusing on electrical work and heating installation. Work in Reese and the Science Center will continue for much of the semester, while work in Mary Woolley will be completed by mid-October. Moreover, the construction on Skinner Green is currently in the process of being demobilized, with the fence surrounding the area having been removed on Sept. 12. The area will be roped off with stakes until Oct. 2 to allow the new sod to grow.
Youngblood said she understands that this is a large and invasive project and that the “team is grateful for the grace and support shown by students, faculty and staff when impacted.”