Investing in geothermal energy could help the state generate enough energy to meet 100 percent of its electricity, heating and low-to medium-temperature industrial process needs in as little as a decade, a new report finds.
The report, The Future of Geothermal in Pennsylvania, found that the state’s subsurface has potential for geothermal energy development which can provide opportunities for building heating and cooling across the state. Additionally, the report identified hotspots across Pennsylvania that can generate secure, always-on geothermal electricity. The report, backed by Project InnerSpace, a non-profit organization dedicated to expanding the use of geothermal energy, in collaboration with Pennsylvania State University and 10 contributors from four PA institutions, looked at the potential scale of geothermal energy in the state. It found many opportunities to use the natural subsurface heat of the Earth in the residential, commercial, agricultural, manufacturing and pharmaceutical sectors.
“Pennsylvania is an energy leader and an epicenter of oil and gas industry workforce, talent and know-how,” Jamie Beard, executive director of Project InnerSpace, said. “Pennsylvania led the charge historically with the first oil well and in the shale revolution, now it can be at the forefront of the next drilling revolution, but this time around for heat.”
Recent technological developments by the oil and gas industry allow for cost-effective and efficient ways to tap into geothermal energy, officials said, and Pennsylvania is positioned to take advantage of the potential because of its large oil and gas workforce, as well as its status at the country’s second-largest energy-producing state.
“Pennsylvania can help the United States dominate on energy by ensuring we have a reliable, secure and diverse supply of energy,” U.S. Rep. Kristin Marcell, (R-Bucks County), said. “Given geothermal’s potential to help advance key industries in Pennsylvania like advanced manufacturing and agriculture, I am excited to see this resource be added to Pennsylvania’s prolific energy portfolio.”