Vermont Goes to NY GEO
April 26—27, 2023
Geothermal is booming in New York, and so was this year’s NY GEO conference.
Vermont Community Geothermal Alliance was one of hundreds of organizations and businesses there to learn and connect, then bring information and inspiration home.
NY GEO by the numbers:
700 people
22 states
4 countries
In addition to drillers, manufacturers, installers, engineers, designers, and service companies, there were scientists and researchers, government agencies and commissions, policymakers and lobbyists, labor unions and climate activists, financial experts and health professionals, municipalities and developers, environmental organizations and gas utilities.
New York Public Service Commission Chair Rory Christian addresses NY GEO 2023.
Here are some of our take-aways. . .
The time to buy a drill rig—or several—is now.
The Defense Protection Act offers a limited window of funding for clean energy technology. When it comes to geothermal, that includes investing in drilling. Imagine a regional fleet of drill rigs, plus the recruiting and training needed to operate them.
It’s not all about drilling.
“The Thermal Highway” is just one way to describe how we can harness and move heat. There are multiple thermal sources, sinks, and opportunities for storage all around us, with innovations that integrate thermal loops with solar panels, air source heat pumps, EVs, and wastewater systems.
And it’s not just about technology.
There are many ways to bring thermal networks to our communities, whether installed on a campus, implemented by a large developer, or managed by a municipality or cooperative. The question is not just: Where can we implement thermal networks in Vermont? It’s also: How can we finance, own, and operate thermal networks to create truly clean local energy systems—investing in and benefiting our communities?
We’ll be bringing as much of all this energy and action to Vermont as we can.