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Washington & Jefferson College Center for Energy Policy and Management contributed to a report released today that finds if Pennsylvania takes steps now to fully access the geothermal heat that exists underground, the Commonwealth could leverage the know-how of its oil and gas workers to generate enough energy to meet 100% of its electricity, heating and low- and medium-temperature industrial process needs in as few as 10 years.
The Future of Geothermal in Pennsylvania, a collaborative report backed by Project Innerspace, finds that Pennsylvania's subsurface has robust potential for geothermal energy development. Project Innerspace is a non-profit focused on expanding the use of geothermal energy globally.
The report, compiled by working with 10 contributors from four Pennsylvania institutions, including W&J, evaluated the potential scale of geothermal energy in the Commonwealth, and found widespread opportunities to use the Earth's natural and abundant subsurface heat for Pennsylvania's residential, commercial, agricultural, manufacturing, and pharmaceutical sectors. Its release was announced today in Harrisburg and through a press release.
The Center for Energy Policy and Management authored a chapter on “Opportunities for Pennsylvanians: Navigating Geothermal for Landowners, Communities, and other Stakeholders”. This chapter discusses the need to engage stakeholders like labor unions, environmental groups, and energy providers to unlock geothermal’ s potential. It also explains how addressing community concerns; leveraging the state's oil and gas expertise; and fostering innovation via research and federal support can help support the development of geothermal.
For more than a century, geothermal energy has proven to be a safe and sustainable source of energy, but it was limited to only a few places on earth. Recent technological developments by the oil and gas industry can allow geothermal projects to efficiently and cost-effectively tap into the Earth's heat, making geothermal energy available almost anywhere, including Pennsylvania.
These advances are allowing oil and gas workers to produce geothermal energy, driving significant interest in this home-grown and abundant energy. Pennsylvania is well positioned to take advantage of that potential given its large oil and gas workforce and its status as the nation's second-largest energy-producing state.
The report offers 23 targeted policy recommendations to accelerate the adoption of geothermal energy across Pennsylvania, which could create economic savings for residents, generate long-term job opportunities, reduce emissions, and bolster energy security in the commonwealth.
To read the full report, visit https://celp.psu.edu/projects/pa-geothermal/ or wjenergy.org.