The Policymakers’ guidebook for geothermal heating and cooling identifies and describes five steps for implementing geothermal policies that may reduce barriers and result in deployment and implementation of geothermal heating and cooling technologies, such as ground source heat pumps (GSHP) and direct-use applications.

Step 1: Assess the Local Industry and Resource Potential
Increasing the use of geothermal energy requires a baseline level of knowledge about the industry and market trends in the locality.

Step 2: Identify Challenges to Development
Identifying specific challenges associated with geothermal heating and cooling development in the area will help decision makers recognize the point in development where new policy should be targeted.

Step 3: Evaluate Current Policy
Review current state and federal policy and major provisions that impact the development of geothermal heating and cooling technologies to create a coordinated plan that will enhance new policy effectiveness by addressing current policy gaps and leveraging existing policy.

Step 4: Consider Policy Options
Developing geothermal heating and cooling policy involves considering different types of policy options that can help expand the deployment of geothermal heating and cooling technologies.

Step 5: Implement Policies
Implementing policies that will achieve increased deployment of GSHP and direct-use technologies will require different sets of policies to facilitate deployment because each technology is different.

Read the Policymakers’ guidebook for geothermal heating and cooling.