Geothermal energy utilizes the earth’s natural and renewable supply of subsurface heat energy and can be deployed to meet the heating, power, and other energy needs of hundreds of millions of people today. With the technology available and under development for the future, geothermal resources can be utilized on every continent and eventually in every country of the world.
Geothermal resource use is expanding globally, but it needs government support to achieve its full potential. It is evident from a review of leading geothermal countries that a range of policies provide essential support for the development of geothermal resources. Our Coalition calls upon each country to assess the potential of current and future geothermal technology to meet its national energy objectives. Countries should institute geothermal development targets into their renewable energy goals as a first step to implementing policies that support development and should have, as part of their energy plans, effective long-term incentives and policy support for geothermal energy.
Our Coalition calls upon international and multi-national organizations to support geothermal resource assessment, technology development, and the development of policies and financial incentives for the expanded use of geothermal resources to meet the world’s energy needs. These organizations should use their resources to help countries recognize the potential of geothermal resources and set appropriate national geothermal goals.
In particular, the World Bank and other multi-lateral financial institutions should expand their financial support for geothermal development and projects. There should be clear organizational goals for geothermal promotion within these institutions as well as specific senior staff designated to achieve them. The funding and support provided to geothermal should be comparable to that provided to support other technologies.
The International Energy Agency IEA and the International Renewable Energy Agency IRENA, should both consider more geothermal electricity and heating & cooling in their prospective scenarios. Geothermal will be a key player to flight global warming by decreasing CO2 emissions in decarbonizing power and heating sectors.
To help pursue these international goals, the members of several leading national geothermal trade and business associations have joined together to establish the International Geothermal Business Coalition (www.internationalgeo.org). The European Geothermal Energy Council, the US Geothermal Energy Association, the Canadian Geothermal Energy Association, the Australian Geothermal Energy Association, and the Chilean Geothermal Energy Association represent the original founders of this coalition. These groups represent the leading companies involved in developing geothermal resources to meet the energy needs of the world.
Signed:
Australian Geothermal Energy Association
Canadian Geothermal Energy Association
Chilean Geothermal Energy Association
European Geothermal Energy Council
US Geothermal Energy Association
AGEA is the national industry association representing the Australian geothermal energy industry. Since its establishment in 2007, AGEA has focused on building positive relationships with the Federal and state governments and other major stakeholders to ensure that geothermal energy is promoted as an important and viable solution to Australia’s future energy security and greenhouse gas reduction challenges. AGEA is dedicated to driving initiatives that promote the geothermal industry and its capabilities on behalf of the Australian commercial geothermal entities. To do this, the Association engages with all levels of government, the academic community, relevant scientific organizations, the investment sector and the media. AGEA strives to assist government to develop prudent policy mechanisms that enable all forms of emissions free energy to increasingly penetrate the national energy market. In doing so AGEA highlights and promotes the unique range of national interest benefits that only geothermal energy brings to the nation’s long term energy security and climate change goals. These include its highly competitive low cost predictions, its base-load capability and its low environmental footprint including that it doesn’t produce harmful waste materials that future generations will be required to manage.
CanGEA is the collective voice of Canada’s geothermal energy industry. As a non-profit industry association, CanGEA represents the interests of our member companies with the primary goal of unlocking the country’s tremendous geothermal energy potential. Geothermal energy can provide competitively priced, renewable, round-the-clock energy to the Canadian and U.S. markets. and be a part of the solution to growing concerns about securing sustainable, cost-effective energy sources. CanGEA promotes the industry and the potential of geothermal energy in Canada through outreach events, research, policy work and representation of Canadian interests internationally.
The "European Geothermal Energy Council" (EGEC) is an international association founded in May 1998. It plays a vital role in geothermal business development in Europe. EGEC is based in the Renewable Energy House in Brussels, Belgium, and unites more than 115 companies and organisations, from 23 European countries, working in the geothermal field in Europe.The main goal of EGEC is to foster market development for geothermal energy, and to work for improvement of business conditions in Europe. EGEC represents all the European geothermal electricity and heating & cooling sector.
The Geothermal Energy Association (GEA) is a trade association composed of U.S. companies who support the expanded use of geothermal energy and are developing geothermal resources worldwide for electrical power generation and direct-heat uses. GEA advocates for public policies that will promote the development and utilization of geothermal resources, provides a forum for the industry to discuss issues and problems, encourages research and development to improve geothermal technologies, presents industry views to governmental organizations, provides assistance for the export of geothermal goods and services, compiles statistical data about the geothermal industry, and conducts education and outreach projects.
