National business association Advanced Energy United endorses GEO Act 

WASHINGTON, DC – The Geothermal Energy Optimization (GEO) Act was recently proposed by a bipartisan group of Senators with the goal of accelerating the adoption of geothermal energy nationwide. Geothermal energy has the potential to be an important part of America’s growing advanced energy resource mix, alongside energy efficiency, energy storage, solar, and wind.

“While the processes used to discover and harness geothermal resources are similar to those used in the oil and gas sector, geothermal companies have historically been required to undergo far more onerous and time-consuming permitting processes,” said Harry Godfrey, Managing Director at Advanced Energy United. “We support the bipartisan GEO Act from Senators Heinrich, Risch, Cortez Masto and Lee, which could help the U.S. meet its growing demand for reliable, affordable and clean electricity. By putting geothermal on a level playing field with other sectors, instituting a streamlined process to permit exploration wells, and establishing new leasing targets for public lands, this Act will help to unlock the extraordinary potential of geothermal generation throughout the country.” 

According to the bill sponsors, next-generation geothermal technologies offer several unique advantages, including its potential to complement intermittent energy like wind and solar, its ability to be deployed beyond hot and temperate regions, its versatility to match local demand, and capacity to create new pathways to high-paying quality jobs. 

"Next-generation geothermal energy is available today to provide 24/7 clean and reliable electricity all over the West, creating jobs in rural communities and enhancing American energy security,” said Sarah Jewett, VP of Strategy, Fervo Energy, a member company of Advanced Energy United. “We commend the leadership of Senators Heinrich, Risch, Lee, and Cortez-Masto in developing the GEO Act to make it easier to deploy this critical technology at the speed we need to support a thriving economy and stave off the worst impacts of the climate crisis.” 

In addition to energy generation, geothermal heat can also be used for industrial processes, mineral production, as well as aquaculture and agricultural applications, energy storage, and hydrogen production. It is especially suitable for energy-intensive direct air capture (DAC) facilities and data centers. 

Click here to learn more about Advanced Energy United’s work advocating for advanced energy manufacturing policies.