The US government is paying a major engineering firm to plan out district heating systems

The US government awarded a contract to Jacobs Engineering Group to design a "Strategic Design Framework for Phased Implementation of Thermal Energy Networks." This means the government is planning how to roll out shared heating and cooling systems across different areas.

For decades, most buildings have relied on individual furnaces and air conditioners. Thermal energy networks, also known as district heating and cooling, connect multiple buildings to a central energy source, which can be more efficient and use cleaner energy. This contract shows the US government is moving beyond pilot projects and is now planning for widespread deployment of these systems.