Journal of Commerce highlights CWU’s new GeoEco plant

As construction of Central Washington University’s first GeoEco plant nears completion, the project has been featured in the Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce, a publication dedicated to highlighting big shifts in how the region does business.

The article, “Central Washington University swaps fossil fuels for aquifer energy,” written by NAC Architecture Associate Principal Korin Nabozny, highlights the scale of the transition to geothermal power that the GeoEco plant heralds.

“Ninety-five percent of CWU’s emissions are currently driven by natural gas-based heating systems, underscoring the scale of its decarbonization challenge,” Nobozny wrote. “CWU’s approach is a bold transition away from combustion-based heating to electrified systems powered by low- and zero-carbon energy sources such as hydropower, wind, solar and nuclear.”

The facility will be able to heat and cool 500,000 square feet of indoor space, including the new North Academic Commons, and is the first of several such nodes planned across campus.

“Each geothermal node in CWU’s network relies on two deep wells — one for extraction and one for injection — enabling a continuous thermal exchange with the underlying aquifer,” the article explains. “At CWU, these wells extend 1,000 feet below ground, drawing on the stable temperatures of the Ellensburg Aquifer to heat and cool campus buildings.”

CWU Sustainability Coordinator Jeff Bousson is excited about this growing geothermal network, which will be expanded over the next year with a second node near Samuelson Hall.

“It’s a really exciting project that will enable CWU to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and support the objectives listed in our Climate Action Plan,” he said in the Fall 2025 issue of Crimson and Black magazine. “This is the first of many projects to come, all of which will produce significant economic and environmental benefits for our campus and community.”

This groundbreaking work has already cemented CWU’s status as a pioneer in sustainability within higher education, and has led to recognition on both regional and national stages. As the CWU Climate Action Plan continues to take shape, the model being presented to the world at Central will be an inspiration to others looking to create a more sustainable future.

“As CWU advances its geothermal network over the coming decade, the GeoEco Plant establishes a new foundation for campus infrastructure built on electrification, efficiency and long-term adaptability,” Nabozny wrote. “In doing so, CWU offers a compelling model for other institutions, demonstrating that even a small facility, strategically deployed, can drive meaningful change across an entire campus.”