On behalf of the geothermal industry we would like to thank you for introducing the “Advanced Geothermal Innovation Leadership Act of 2019”, otherwise known as the “AGILE Act”.
As the professional association for the geothermal industry and community, the Geothermal Resources Council (GRC), strongly supports the AGILE Act and applauds your leadership in bringing forth the various parts of the act:
- Updating Geothermal Resource Assessments;
- Authorizing a Secondary Use Subprogram focused on direct use, minerals recovery (lithium), desalination, industrial applications, and grid management;
- Authorizing two $10M prizes in a competition for the demonstration of coproduction of critical minerals;
- Authorizing two publicly operated FORGE sites (Frontier Observatories for Research in Geothermal Energy);
- Authorizing four EGS projects (Enhanced Geothermal Systems) with one east of the Mississippi River;
- Authorizing $150M to the DOE geothermal program;
- Reauthorization of High-Cost Region Geothermal Energy Grant Program;
- Authorizing the Geothermal Energy Permit Coordination Program which will provide permitting expertise.
The GRC kindly urges the Senate to take up this bill as soon as possible and for the House to follow suit expeditiously. Quick action on this issue is critical to the long-term future of geothermal energy and how we make a significant impact to:
- building jobs and economic benefits in local communities across the nation;
- helping to fight climate change through electrification and decarbonizing our economy; and,
- being a reliable source of energy that gives clean renewable power and heat that’s always on.
The AGILE Act impacts the whole geothermal energy spectrum across low temperature and high temperature resources. It aims to develop technical innovations through EGS and FORGE research, as well as increase value of geothermal operations through coproduction with other critical minerals.
These actions will help build a future where geothermal power and heat can be rolled out across the nation as a critical source of renewable energy for U.S. households and businesses as we transition to a clean energy future. Geothermal energy is affordable and reliable, and will play a substantive role in maintaining a functioning electricity grid – due to its position as a flexible, clean, 24/7 resource that can complement other intermittent renewable resources.
The GRC is a non-profit professional association for the geothermal industry and
community in the USA and abroad. We were founded in 1972 and are headquartered in Davis, California. We have over 1,300 members from around the world and are working to advance our industry by supporting the development of geothermal energy resources through communication of robust research, knowledge and guidance.
We thank you for your consideration. We are available to answer questions and discuss further at your convenience.
Respectfully,
Paul Thomsen
GRC Policy Committee Chair
pthomsen@ormat.com
Will Pettitt, PhD
GRC Executive Director
wpettitt@mygeoenergy.org
