Who We Are:
The Utility Networked Geothermal Collaborative (UNGC) is a growing community of gas utilities working together to explore, pilot, and scale community geothermal and thermal energy network solutions. We bring utilities across North America into one shared space to exchange lessons learned, compare approaches, navigate policies and funding, and advance innovative models that support a just, affordable, and sustainable model of utility geothermal. The UNGC offers a supportive network where members learn from each other, collaborate with partners across the Thermal Energy Networks (TENs) and utility geo ecosystem, and help shape the future of utility-delivered heating and cooling.
UNGC Vision:
To lead the advancement of gas utilities as they expand into providing affordable, equitable, and sustainable TENs and utility geo-benefiting customers, communities, and the environment.
The mission of the Utility Networked Geothermal Collaborative is to bring together gas utilities to collaboratively advance TENS and utility geo by:
- Developing and sharing best practices, business models, and technical approaches that support the deployment and integration of TENs and utility geo.
- Identifying policies, funding mechanisms, and regulatory pathways that enable utilities to provide clean, reliable, and affordable TENs and utility geo solutions.
- Building a learning community where utilities explore siting, project design, implementation methods, vendor ecosystems, and labor considerations together.
- Supporting innovation and collaboration with external geothermal and clean energy partners to accelerate widespread adoption of TENS and utility geo across North America.
Leadership
The Utility Networked Geothermal Collaborative (UNGC) is guided by leaders who understand both the technical realities and the collaborative nature of networked geothermal. From the beginning, UNGC has focused on creating space for utilities to come together, share experiences, and explore practical questions around utility-owned thermal energy networks.
This leadership approach is rooted in openness and shared learning — bringing people into conversation, learning from real-world efforts, and helping utilities move forward together as this work continues to evolve.
Meet the Co-Founders
Morgan Hood
Morgan Hood is Director of Product Management at Vermont Gas Systems (VGS), where she develops energy solutions that keep homes comfortable and support a cleaner, decarbonized future. She has advanced geothermal, heat pump, and energy efficiency programs by connecting utilities, policymakers, and innovators.
Morgan co-founded the Utility Networked Geothermal Collaborative (UNGC) to give utilities a space to share lessons, test ideas, and move faster together. She believes affordable, equitable community geothermal systems succeed when people learn and act collectively.
Holly Braun
Holly Braun is Decarbonization Program Manager at NW Natural, where she leads the company’s expansion from traditional natural gas service into networked and stand-alone geothermal solutions. With more than two decades at the utility, she brings deep institutional knowledge and a steady hand for guiding complex change within regulated environments.
Holly played a pivotal role in advancing WA HB 2131 and translating policy into implementation—partnering with external stakeholders to identify project sites, aligning internal departments, coordinating with peer utilities, securing grant funding, and advancing projects to 30% design and regulatory filing. Her leadership is defined by disciplined execution and the ability to move innovative ideas through regulatory, financial, and operational realities.
As co-leader of the Utility Networked Geothermal Collaborative (UNGC), Holly is focused on building the structures that make geothermal scalable: durable regulatory pathways, viable business models, and internal capabilities that allow utilities to move from pilot to platform. She is inspired by the idea of “using earth to save the earth” and the inter-disciplinary co-creation of durable solutions.
Working Across the Geothermal Ecosystem
In addition to its utility members, UNGC works closely with technical and industry organizations that bring research, standards, and field expertise to this work. These partners help strengthen collaboration, inform best practices, and support the advancement of networked geothermal across diverse utility contexts.
UNGC In The News
From Protest to Partnership: How Geothermal Became a Utility Strategy
In 2016, a meeting inside Eversource’s Massachusetts headquarters could have gone very differently. On one side sat William Akley, then president of gas operations. On
Utilities Turn to Networked Geothermal to Decarbonize Buildings
A recent article from Grist highlights a growing shift in how utilities are approaching building decarbonization. Rather than relying solely on traditional electrification pathways or
Turning Up the Heat with Geothermal Energy
A recent feature from the Conservation Law Foundation highlights how networked geothermal systems are emerging as a powerful strategy to decarbonize buildings while maintaining the