Lehigh University Joins PA Team To Turn Aging Shale Gas Well Into Geothermal Power Source In Indiana County; Studies Show Geothermal Could Meet 100% Of PA Electricity, Heating, Most Industrial Needs

Lehigh University researchers are part of a team that will test whether the heat beneath Pennsylvania can power homes, businesses, and farms, using infrastructure the state’s energy industry has already built.

Lehigh has received $1.6 million to participate in the “Commonwealth of Pennsylvania EGS Pilot Demonstration,” a U.S. Department of Energy-funded project led by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). 

The total project budget is about $14 million. The “EGS” stands for enhanced geothermal system.

“This project shows what’s possible when faculty work across disciplinary and college boundaries,” said Robert Flowers, Herbert J. and Ann L. Siegel Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. 

“Earth scientists from the College of Arts and Sciences and engineers from the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science are bringing complementary expertise to a problem neither could solve alone. 

“Research like this matters because discoveries don't stay in the lab. It’s designed to bring new possibilities to Pennsylvania communities, and it reflects Lehigh’s commitment to scholarship that serves the people and places around us.” 

The goal is to generate one megawatt of electricity from a low-enthalpy, underperforming Marcellus Shale gas well in Indiana County, Pennsylvania. 

The project will draw heat from an underperforming natural gas well by circulating water at depth, and then bring that heated water to the surface.  

That heated water energy will produce electricity for the local grid and supply direct-use heat to nearby homes and businesses.

“Pennsylvania’s conventional hydrocarbon industry, followed by the shale oil and gas revolution left behind a vast network of wells and related infrastructure ,” said Frank Pazzaglia, professor of Earth and environmental sciences in Lehigh’s College of Arts and Sciences and the principal investigator. “This project asks whether we can give that infrastructure a second life as a clean, renewable energy source.”

The pilot will use a deep existing unconventional gas well in Indiana County, PA where the geology is favorable for tapping geothermal resources. 

The well is operated by CNX Green Ventures, an Appalachian oil and gas producer. 

“Repurposing abandoned hydrocarbon wells for low-enthalpy geothermal mining represents an economic and environmental opportunity, transforming the methane-leaking liability into a predictable source of clean, local energy,” said Carlos Romero, professor of mechanical engineering and mechanics in the Rossin College and director of Lehigh’s Energy Research Center.

Project leaders say the approach could also create opportunities for displaced oil, gas, and coal workers, whose subsurface experience transfers directly to the geothermal industry. 

By extending the useful life of existing wells, the project aims to stimulate geothermal energy development, particularly in the eastern US where geothermal resources are more restricted than in the western US, and demonstrate that the approach is portable.  

“The project is a chance to train the next generation of scientists and engineers while helping to show that geothermal energy can work in places many people wouldn’t expect,” Pazzaglia said.

Lehigh’s funding will support five researchers and students from two units. 

The Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (EES) will include three principal investigators, a postdoctoral researcher and a graduate student, while the Energy Research Center will include two principal investigators and a graduate student. 

Project personnel from Lehigh include Frank Pazzaglia; Steve Peters, associate professor of EES; Anne Meltzer, professor of EES; Carlos Romero and Muhannad Suleiman, professor of civil and environmental engineering.

DEP is the project lead, working in coordination with the Pennsylvania Geological Survey. Partners include Gradient Geothermal Inc., Teverra Inc., Idaho National Laboratory, CNX Green Ventures, and Seequent, in addition to Lehigh University.

Click Here for the original article.

(Reprinted from Lehigh University News.)

Resource Links - Geothermal:

-- Shapiro Administration Secures $14 Million From US DOE For Enhanced GeoThermal Systems Pilot Demonstration Project In Indiana County [PaEN] 

-- House Energy Committee Hears How Geothermal Energy Could Meet 100% Of PA’s Electricity, Heating Needs Offering True Energy Independence And Freedom From Foreign Energy Markets Costing Pennsylvanians Billions [PaEN] 

-- House Energy Committee Hears Testimony On How PA Has Enough Geothermal Energy To Meet 100% Of Pennsylvania’s Electricity, Heating Energy Needs [PaEN] 

-- PA House Passes Bills To Establish Framework For Developing Clean, Safe Geothermal Energy, Advanced Transmission Line Technology, Retooling PA Energy Financing Authority [PaEN] 

-- Penn State, Project InnerSpace Report: Leverage Oil & Gas Workers To Generate Enough Geothermal Energy To Meet 100% Of Pennsylvania's Electricity, Heating, Medium Industrial Process Needs [PaEN] 

-- Joint State Government Commission Identifies 382 Potential Sites For Geothermal Facilities Using Abandoned Mine Pools; Geothermal Energy Could Reduce A.I. Data Center Energy Demand By 30-40% [PaEN] 

Related Articles This Week:

-- PA Election Results: Democrats Now Control PA Senate, Retain PA House, Governor’s Office  [PaEN] 

-- Williamsport Sun: Republican Senate Environmental Chair Gene Yaw Expects To Work With Democrat Majority; His Priorities: Legalizing Recreational Marijuana; Not Destroying The Natural Gas Industry; Legalizing Skill Games

-- Guest Essay: All Brine From Conventional Oil & Gas Wells Contains Hazardous Pollutants, Why Are We Still Dumping It On Our Roads? - By David E. Hess, Former Secretary, PA Department Of Environmental Protection [PaEN]  

-- DEP - Day 72: INR OPR LLC Still Collecting Contaminated Water, Building Structures To Recover Water At Cooper Shale Gas Pad From August Spill Of 336,000 Gallons Of Fracking Water In Indiana County  [PaEN]

-- DEP - Day 135: Contaminated Water Discharges Continue, Still Fails To Comply With Cleanup Order At Equitrans Water SVC [EQT] Richter Shale Gas Water Impoundment In Greene County  [PaEN]  

-- DEP - Day 609: Oil & Gas MGMT Inc. Failed To Take Actions Or Respond To Violations At 2 Conventional Oil & Gas Wells In Westmoreland County  [PaEN]  

-- DEP: Routine Inspections Find 6 More Anderson Energy SVC LLC Conventional Oil & Gas Wells Abandoned, Not Plugged In Venango County  [PaEN]

-- DEP To Hold Dec. 8 In-Person Community Update On Energy Transfer/Sunoco Jet Fuel Pipeline Rupture Cleanup In Upper Makefield Twp., Bucks County  [PaEN] 

-- PUC Approves $150,000 Penalty Settlement With UGI For Faulty Plastic Natural Gas Pipe Installation Practices  [PaEN]

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Reports Low-Flow Stream Conditions Trigger Stop To 51 Shale Gas Water Withdrawals, 13 More Put On Watch Status  [PaEN]   

-- DEP Citizens Advisory Council, Environmental Justice Advisory Board Meet Nov. 10 On Fossil Fuel Impacts On Communities, Mapping PA’s Energy Infrastructure  [PaEN]

NewsClips:

-- TheDerrick.com Guest Essay: Don’t Allow The Negligent Dumping Of Conventional Oil & Gas Well Brine On Roads - By David E. Hess, former Secretary of DEP  [PFD of Article]

-- MonValley Independent: Pennsylvania Opens New Loophole For Conventional Oil And Gas Wastewater Disposal On Roads 

-- TheDerrick.com Guest Essay: Fossil Fuel Industry Follows Big Tobacco’s Disinformation - By Kathy Mulvey, InsideSources.com 

-- KYW: Jet Fuel Pipeline Struck During Construction In Bridgeport Boro, Montgomery County

-- Rolling Stone - Justin Nobel: Ohio Denies Evidence Of  Fracking Waste In Drinking Water, Its Own Records Show Otherwise

-- Inquirer: A Hard Winter Is Coming For PA Homes That Heat With Oil  

-- WESA - Rachel McDevitt: How Will EQT’s Plan To Buy Range Resources Affect Natural Gas Market?  [Data Centers, Price Shaped By Global Events] 

-- Financial Times: Petrol Prices Set To Hit Record High Under President’s Administration

-- Financial Times: President’s Diesel Fuel Deal With Russia Falters As 2 Tanks Change Course Away From US 

-- Wall Street Journal: President Pushes To Restore Russian Natural Gas Sales To Europe Via Ukraine

[Posted: November 6, 2026]  PA Environment Digest

Lancaster-based Belmont Solar Celebrates 25 Years Of Installing Solar Energy Systems, Promoting A More Sustainable Future

On November 5, Belmont Solar is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Following its recent participation in the 2026 ASES National Solar Tour, Belmont is looking back on how solar technology has changed over the past few decades and what those changes could mean for the future of solar. 

To mark 25 years in solar, Belmont Solar has also published its official lookback, "Solar Evolution: How Solar Technology Has Changed Since 2001," comparing solar technology in the early 2000s with today and sharing additional reflections from owner Ben Zook's experience in the industry.

NABCEP Certified Master Electrician Ben Zook began working with solar in 2001, when solar energy looked considerably different from the systems homeowners and businesses use today. 

Early installations required more customization and, as Zook remembers it, each new system could feel like its own "science experiment."

Today, manufactured components and advancements in solar technology have made installations more streamlined and have opened the door to increasingly sophisticated systems that combine solar panels with battery storage, EV charging, heat pumps, and other technologies.

“The biggest changes we’ve seen in the industry are that the installations are quicker, there are fewer custom jobs, and we can build a system with less clutter in the mechanical room or power conversion area,” said Zook. “Combined with practically a million little ways that we have learned how to do things better than ever before.”

That willingness to learn has been an important part of Belmont Solar's growth. Zook and many of his employees began their careers with the company at a young age and were willing to learn alongside an industry that was still developing.

According to Zook, working in the industry has taught him that “individuals have the opportunity to help make our world a better place.” 

Starting in the industry so young meant that Zook and his team got to “learn work, responsibilities, and a sense of purpose at a young age, all while helping their community be less polluting and more sustainable.”

Over the past 25 years, Zook has also watched the solar industry experience periods of rapid growth and uncertainty. 

Through those changes, he says that trust, education, and remaining focused on the long-term benefits have remained important for both individual solar companies and the industry as a whole.

Belmont Solar recently had the opportunity to put that education into practice during the 2026 American Solar Energy Society National Solar Tour. 

On October 3, Zook opened his Lancaster County net-zero home to visitors, giving members of the public an opportunity to see the power of solar in action.

 This year, Zook saw more visitors than ever, with a few dozen visiting online and in person. 

For Zook, opportunities like the National Solar Tour represent an important part of what comes next for solar.

“It means a lot when people see what solar can do, but there are still so many people who have no idea yet," said Zook. “Once people understand, Zook believes that "you're just not going to hold solar back from becoming even better."

As Belmont Solar looks toward the next 25 years, Zook remains optimistic about the industry's future while emphasizing many of the same principles that have carried the company this far: patience, persistence, continued learning, and a commitment to helping customers understand the technology they're investing in.

Resource Link:

-- Lancaster County Solar Expert Opens His Net-Zero Home For The ASES 2026 National Solar Tour Oct. 3 [PaEN] 

Related Articles This Week:

-- PA Solar Center: Ambridge Borough Flips Switch On New Rooftop Solar Energy System Saving Taxpayers $509,000 In Beaver County  [PaEN]

-- Lancaster-based Belmont Solar Celebrates 25 Years Of Installing Solar Energy Systems, Promoting A More Sustainable Future  [PaEN] 

-- Shapiro Administration: PJM Interconnection Selects 3 PA Projects In Expedited Program To Add 1.7 GW Of Generation, Energy Storage To Grid; DEP Accepting New Proposals By Nov. 16  [PaEN]  

[Posted: November 6, 2026]  PA Environment Digest

DCNR Fall Foliage Report Nov. 5 to 11: Enjoy The Last Few Days Of The Fall Foliage Season

DCNR issued its sixth and final Fall Foliage Report for November 4 to 11 saying the last days of the season will still provide some glimpses of attractive color, punctuating what has been a stellar year for autumn color in Penn’s Woods.

The best color in the Commonwealth is now found in the southeastern and southcentral regions.

Click Here for the full report and regional details.

For fall festivals and experiences, visit the visitPA.com website. 

Visit Explore PA Trails and Get Outdoors PA for recreation areas near you.

Visit the PA Parks & Forests Foundation’s Events webpage and DCNR’s Calendar of Events for activities happening near you.

  For more information on state parks and forests and recreation in Pennsylvania, visit DCNR’s website.  Click Here to sign up for the Resource newsletter.

Related Articles This Week:

-- DCNR Conservation & Natural Resources Advisory Council Meets Nov. 18 On Conservation And Wildlife Law Enforcement; Dec. 8 Webinar On Trending Recreational Uses  [PaEN] 

-- DCNR Fall Foliage Report Nov. 5 to 11: Enjoy The Last Few Days Of The Fall Foliage Season  [PaEN] 

-- DCNR Grant News: Susquehanna River Accessibility Study; Northcentral ATV Trail Capacity; Volunteer Fire Company Grants 

-- PA Outdoor Business Alliance: Nov. 30 Webinar On Working With Content Creators 101, Noon to 1:00 p.m. 

-- Penn State Extension Hosts Dec. 9 Webinar - Advice From The Woods - Ask Our Experts  [PaEN]  

-- Lancaster Conservancy Preserves 24 Acre Property Along Conestoga River  [PaEN]

-- WeConservePA: Voters Approved 3 Local Ballot Measures Resulting In $182 Million In New Open Space Investments  [PaEN] 

NewsClips:

-- Altoona Mirror: PA Interfaith Power & Light To Give Away Trees To Altoona Residents Nov. 6-7

-- TribLive: PennFuture Unveils Model Riparian Buffer Ordinance As Warehouses, Data Centers, Natural Gas Facilities Transform PA Land  

-- The Nature Conservancy PA News: Find Your Volunteer Opportunity; Explore Accessible Nature Experiences; Conserving Natural Areas

-- LancasterOnline: First Blight-Resistant American Chestnut Trees In PA Planted In Lancaster County

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: RiverLife Nonprofit Surpasses $30 Million  Fundraising Goal For Remaking Pittsburgh’s Riverfronts

-- The Nature Conservancy PA News: Find Your Volunteer Opportunity; Explore Accessible Nature Experiences; Conserving Natural Areas

-- National Park Service: Native Tree Plantings At Flight 93 Memorial In Somerset County Have Resulted In Largest Concentration Of Restoration American Chestnut Trees In North America 

[Posted: November 6, 2026]  PA Environment Digest