Babylon looks into geothermal energy

The Town of Babylon has commissioned a study to determine whether a geothermal heating and cooling system can be used as part of the Wyandanch downtown redevelopment.

The feasibility study will be done by P.W. Grosser Consulting, Inc. of Bohemia. The town awarded a contract to the company for $119,000 during an April 5, 2011 town board meeting. The money will come from a federal energy efficiency conservation block grant the town has received, said spokesman Tim Ruggeri.

The town is exploring whether its Wyandanch Rising revitalization can include the installation of a utility-scale geoexchange heating and cooling system. Such a system takes advantage of geothermal energy below ground, using pumps to heat and cool buildings.

Supervisor Steve Bellone said the study will determine whether such a system could be used on a wide scale and whether it would be a cheaper and more environmentally friendly way of heating and cooling new development in the downtown.