Eversource heads underground

Also: Lynn native makes Tony Awards history; kicking off WBUR's summer arts guidess [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  June 12, 2023 ⛅ Mostly cloudy, with a high near 81. Good Morning Boston, Hope you enjoyed the weekend — whether you spent it reveling in the [joyous return of Boston's Pride parade]( enjoying the summer-like weather or figuring out how to [cobble together enough cash to put a bid on Steve Pagliuca's house](. We're starting this week with a deep dive underground: - They don't look much different than manholes. But under their unassuming green covers, three 600-foot-deep holes in Framingham mark the beginnings of the country's first utility-run geothermal project. As WBUR's Miriam Wasser reports, Eversource is building a so-called “networked geothermal system” that will eventually use a series of deep wells, underground pipes and pumps to both heat and cool 37 buildings in the MetroWest city. Advocates have big hopes for the project — and they're officially breaking ground today. - The big picture: Networked geothermal systems are incredibly reliable and[several times more efficient]( than fossil fuels for home heating — not to mention emissions-free. Many environmentalists hope[the two-year Framingham test]( can serve as a viable model for gas utilities in the future. - How it works: Deep below the surface, the earth’s temperature is a constant 55 degrees, so Eversource is using the holes to exchange heat with the earth, warming buildings in the winter and cooling them in the summer, according to program manager Eric Bosworth. Once complete, the project will include 113 bore holes and a mile of underground pipes circulating hot and cold water. ([This video]( the Department of Energy explains more.) - So far, so good: Eversource has already drilled the first three holes to test the ground quality. Wasser reports all three went as planned. Now, they're beginning work today on the other 110 holes so they can start laying the connecting pipes. - What's next: Bosworth says the goal is to have "everybody up and running this year before the cold weather comes." - History on stage: Lynn native Alex Newell, in [a sparkling gold dress]( became the first nonbinary actor to win a Tony award last night for their role in the musical "Shucked." - "Thank you for seeing me, Broadway," Newell said [during their speech](. "I should not be up here as a queer, nonbinary, fat, Black little baby from Massachusetts." - Go deeper: Here are [six takeaways from what NPR called a surprisingly entertaining Tony Awards](. - Massachusetts regulators want to make it easier for military veterans to join the state's medical marijuana program. As the Boston Herald [reports]( the Cannabis Control Commission is considering making medical marijuana cards free for veterans and adding PTSD to the list of qualifying conditions. - Why? Cannabis [may be a safer pain-management tool for veterans]( than opioids. However, federal prohibition of the drug means VA doctors can't recommend medical marijuana cards, which[CCC officials say has a "chilling effect" for veterans.]( - At long last: After [an additional six-month wait]( (and [maybe a little early trespassing]( the Somerville Community Path Extension [officially opened over the weekend](. And people in Somerville — [including the city's official Twitter account]( — were pretty pumped. - Why Somerville residents care so much: The new, off-road path runs [about two miles along the Green Line Extension]( to Cambridge Crossing, making a bike ride (or walk) to downtown Boston from Somerville and beyond much more direct and safe. - Why non-Somerville residents should care, too: The path also finally links a nearly 50-mile network, including the multi-use [Charles River paths]( and the [Minuteman Bikeway](. Want to bike from Bedford to Boston? It just got a lot easier. - Psst: A small stretch of the path remains closed due to construction by Somerville High School and there is some lighting work left, but officials say both should be wrapped by this fall. - As for the Green Line itself: Service between North Station and Government Center will be [suspended for the next two weeks]( starting today due to Government Center Garage demolition work. It's basically a one-stop stretch, so the MBTA won't be deploying shuttles. Here are two ways to get around it: - Option 1: Switch onto the Orange Line (which will also bypass Haymarket station due to the garage project). - Option 2: Walk. It's three-quarters of a mile — or about a 13-minute walk — to go between North Station and Government Center. But beware; the garage demolition project is already causing [a bit of a bottleneck for pedestrians on the sidewalks](. P.S.— It's summer arts guide season! We'll be publishing new guides every day this week, starting today ([summer music](. Be sure to [bookmark this page]( to stay in the know on all of our arts and culture team's summer recommendations, from shows to movies to books. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Pride parade returns to Boston for the first time in 3 years]( Hundreds of thousands of people descended on Boston Saturday for the first Pride parade in three years. The annual celebration of the LGBTQ+ community was delayed by the pandemic, and then canceled after its organizing committee disbanded. [Read more.]( [Pride parade returns to Boston for the first time in 3 years]( Hundreds of thousands of people descended on Boston Saturday for the first Pride parade in three years. The annual celebration of the LGBTQ+ community was delayed by the pandemic, and then canceled after its organizing committee disbanded. [Read more.]( [Randy Cox reaches historic $45 million police misconduct settlement with city of New Haven]( The city of New Haven, Connecticut, has reached a $45 million settlement with Richard “Randy” Cox, who was paralyzed last year while in police custody. It is the largest police misconduct settlement in U.S. history. [Read more.]( [Randy Cox reaches historic $45 million police misconduct settlement with city of New Haven]( The city of New Haven, Connecticut, has reached a $45 million settlement with Richard “Randy” Cox, who was paralyzed last year while in police custody. It is the largest police misconduct settlement in U.S. history. [Read more.]( [Wildfire smoke ‘significantly’ reduced solar power production in New England this week]( Wildfire smoke caused a headache for New England's electricity forecasters this week. [Read more.]( [Wildfire smoke ‘significantly’ reduced solar power production in New England this week]( Wildfire smoke caused a headache for New England's electricity forecasters this week. [Read more.]( [A section of I-95 in Philadelphia has collapsed after a tanker truck fire]( Images shared by the city and on social media showed a scorched section of the highway caved in on the road below. Lanes in both directions were closed. [Read more.]( [A section of I-95 in Philadelphia has collapsed after a tanker truck fire]( Images shared by the city and on social media showed a scorched section of the highway caved in on the road below. Lanes in both directions were closed. [Read more.]( [Federal lawsuit alleges Boston police hid evidence, paid witnesses in murder case]( Shaun Jenkins filed a complaint in US District Court in Boston Thursday alleging that Boston police detectives paid witnesses and hid evidence that could have exonerated him in the 2001 fatal shooting of his cousin Stephen Jenkins. [Read more.]( [Federal lawsuit alleges Boston police hid evidence, paid witnesses in murder case]( Shaun Jenkins filed a complaint in US District Court in Boston Thursday alleging that Boston police detectives paid witnesses and hid evidence that could have exonerated him in the 2001 fatal shooting of his cousin Stephen Jenkins. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - This week at CitySpace: We have a packed stretch! The Moth is here Tuesday night for [a special Pride month StorySLAM](. On Wednesday, WBUR's Cristela Guerra will moderate a [conversation about the epic Tony Award-winning show “The Lehman Trilogy"]( and the effects of modern capitalism (tickets are free). And then we'll wrap up the week with a [WBUR Member Trivia Night on Thursday]( and [a Circle Round book launch party Saturday](. - Our 2023 summer arts guides kick off with some soul — and also rock, indie-pop and a little brooding folk. With a healthy handful of local artists, [these seven new albums]( have songs you'll want to add to your summer soundtrack. Take a listen here! - Could you make a movie in less than two days? The Boston 48 Hour Film Project challenged 72 teams of filmmakers to do just that. After being assigned a random film genre, the teams produced a suite of mini-movies that will be screened today in Davis Square — with a chance at the Cannes Film Festival on the line. WBUR's Andrea Shea takes you [behind the scenes of one team's rigorous two-day project](. - Boston hospitals can make miracles. But as Boston Public Health Commission Executive Director Bisola Ojikutu, state Rep. Liz Miranda and Mass General Brigham's Alison Bryant [write in this commentary]( Massachusetts tolerates a status quo that leads to vastly different clinical outcomes based on race and neighborhood.  What We're Reading 📚 This section is supported by [Beacon Hill Books]( a new independent bookstore. - In Quincy’s Squantum, an age-old distrust of Boston and unanswered questions about Long Island Bridge ([The Boston Globe]( - Instagram Connects Vast Pedophile Network ([The Wall Street Journal]( - New York City Residents Will Soon Have to Compost Their Food Scraps ([The New York Times](  Tell Me Something Good [A new place for public art comes to the Charlestown Navy Yard]( Working with the National Park Service, arts nonprofit Now + There has transformed an empty space with public art meant to facilitate engagement around a theme for a new project called Lot Lab. [Read more.]( [A new place for public art comes to the Charlestown Navy Yard]( Working with the National Park Service, arts nonprofit Now + There has transformed an empty space with public art meant to facilitate engagement around a theme for a new project called Lot Lab. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common brings you a story from our newsroom: [what happens when a hospital's addiction treatment program closes](. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: Did anyone [leave their teeth at the beach?]( 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 📣 Give us your feedback: newsletters@wbur.org 📧 Get more WBUR stories sent to your inbox. [Check out all of our newsletter offerings.]( Support the news   Want to change how you receive these emails? Stop getting this newsletter by [updating your preferences.](  I don't want to hear from WBUR anymore. 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