Researchers drilling under a college campus in the 1980s paved the way for an ambitious new project in the Twin Cities.By Phil McKennaST. PAUL, Minn.—Nearly half a century ago, the U.S. Department of Energy launched a clean energy experiment beneath the University of Minnesota with a simple goal: storing hot water for months at a time in an aquifer several hundred feet below ground.
Observations from the Little Bunker
Last updated: November 30, 2025 04:25 AM
Atmospheric CO₂
426.8 ppm
+18.1
ppm/year
Atmospheric CH₄
1927.61 ppb
+2.73
ppb/year
Global Temperature
+1.48 °C
Peak: +1.73°C
World Population
8.1 billion
+67
million/year