08/26/2026
President and CEO Paul K. Boyce, PE, PG, took the stage at NSPECon26 to present the St. Patrick’s Cathedral Geothermal System Upgrade, a project more than a decade in the making. Beginning with a feasibility evaluation in 2006 and becoming operational in February 2017, PWGC designed a 10-well standing column system drilled through dense Manhattan schist bedrock at depths ranging from 800 to 2,200 feet, supplying the entire base load for the cathedral and its adjoining buildings.
The results speak for themselves! A projected 25% reduction in annual energy costs and 94,000 kg less CO2 per year, all while preserving the cathedral’s historic architectural fabric. Because every component is either buried or housed indoors, the system earned acceptance from the City’s Landmarks Preservation Commission. This project is a testament to what thoughtful, sustainable engineering can achieve at even the most iconic landmarks in the world.
