Slated for publication in the summer of 2024, the “Future of Geothermal in Pennsylvania” and “Future of Geothermal in Oklahoma” reports will analyze the location and quality of each state’s geothermal resources—i.e., the naturally occurring heat energy in the Earth's subsurface.
The reports will further evaluate the potential size and scale of geothermal as an abundant clean energy resource, the role of each state’s oil and gas industry in realizing rapid growth, and other environmental, regulatory, and legal issues relevant to each state’s respective stakeholders.
The studies will provide a scientific basis for informed decision-making as governments, industry, and other stakeholders consider increased geothermal energy development.
“Clean, renewable energy is critically important for Pennsylvania’s economy, our residents’ air quality, and our communities’ success—and this report offers a potential roadmap for harnessing geothermal energy in Pennsylvania,” said DEP Interim Acting Secretary Jessica Shirley. “The Shapiro Administration is focused on advancing an energy policy that ensures a diverse and reliable ecosystem of energy resources that protects the environment, creates jobs, and protects consumers. We are excited to explore this report and continue collaborating with stakeholders on innovative ways to diversify our energy portfolio.”
In an increasingly polarized world, geothermal occupies a rare political and social space where environmental and climate-focused groups and oil and gas entities can unite to support the same cause, and it is at this nexus that Project InnerSpace focuses its funding and efforts.
“What we saw in Texas when we published the Future of Geothermal in Texas is that all types of stakeholders came out of the woodwork in support—stakeholder groups who are not accustomed to collaborating together or even agreeing on a common set of facts,” said Jamie Beard, Executive Director of Project InnerSpace. “The Texas report catalyzed fast bipartisan action in support of geothermal during a legislative session where other alternative energy sources lost ground. This signaled an opportunity to work across the aisle that we are leaning into hard and fast with our work in Pennsylvania and Oklahoma.”
Collaborators for the studies include researchers from Pennsylvania State University, Drexel University, Villanova University, and Washington & Jefferson University.
Project InnerSpace supports the “Future of Geothermal" report series as part of its state Geothermal Coalition program.
In late 2024, additional state-specific geothermal studies will launch in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, North Dakota, and West Virginia.
Visit the Project InnerSpace website for more information.
Presentation To PA Conventional Operators
On May 25, representatives of Project Innerspace made a presentation to the PA Grade Crude [Oil] Development Advisory Council to try to interest the conventional operators in diversifying their operations to include drilling deep wells to find sources of heat energy to do everything from commercial heating, pasteurizing milk, supporting manufacturing operations and generating electricity.
They said oil and gas operators in Texas and Oklahoma are also exploring the co-production of oil and natural gas and heat energy from these geothermal wells.
They pointed to CNX as one gas drilling company in Pennsylvania that has a team of people working on drilling for geothermal energy.
Pennsylvania has tremendous potential for geothermal energy from underground abandoned coal mine water pools as well [Read more here] and federal funding is available to develop this resource [Read more here].]
PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:
-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - Dec. 16 to 22 - 46% More Conventional NOVs; More Abandoned Wells; Conventional Well Fire; Venting Gas, Spills, Plugging Mess [PaEN]
-- Conventional Oil Well Storage Tanks Burn In McKean County, 6 Local Fire Companies Respond [PaEN]
-- PA Oil & Gas Industry Compliance So Far In 2023 - It Isn’t Pretty [PaEN]
-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices/Opportunities To Comment - December 23 [PaEN]
-- DEP Posted 56 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In Dec. 23 PA Bulletin [PaEN]
Related Articles This Week:
-- AP: Drilling Under Pennsylvania's 'Gasland' Town Has Been Banned Since 2010, It's Coming Back [PaEN]
-- CNX Resources Begins Disclosing General Information On Fracking Chemicals, Air Monitoring Results Online At 2 Shale Gas Well Pads [PaEN]
-- Oil & Gas Facilities Self-Reported 13,432,713 Tons Of Air Pollution In PA In 2022; 101,741,616 Tons Total Since 2012 [PaEN]
-- US DOE, Treasury Release Proposed Regulations Implementing Clean Hydrogen Production Credit Setting A Sliding Scale For Credits [PaEN]
-- CNX Ends Coordination On West Virginia Adams Fork Ammonia Energy Project, Anchor Of ARCH2 Hydrogen Hub Application [PaEN]
-- HEI Energy, Penn State Study Uses 28,500 Water Sample Results To Help Identify Oil & Gas Industry Groundwater Pollution [PaEN]
-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Approves Water Withdrawal Requests For Shale Gas Drilling In Loyalsock, Pine Creek Exceptional Value Watersheds [PaEN]
-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Approves 32 Shale Gas Well Pad Water Use General Permits In Bradford, Lycoming, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, Wyoming Counties [PaEN]
-- FERC Approves PJM $1.25 Billion Winter Storm Elliot Settlement With Non-Performing Natural Gas, Other Electricity Generators [PaEN]
-- Project InnerSpace Launches Cross-Collaborative Future of Oil/Gas Well-Based Geothermal In Pennsylvania Study [PaEN]
-- PUC Update On Investigation Of Dec. 12 Home Explosion In Sewickley Heights, Allegheny County [PaEN]
NewsClips This Week:
-- The Allegheny Front: Environmental Groups Pressure Gov. Shapiro To Crack Down On Shale Gas Industry
-- ABC27: PA Environmental Groups Hold Press Conferences Asking Shapiro To Take Action On Fracking
-- Fox News Guest Essay: Pennsylvania’s Radical Plan To Produce Energy And Protect Our Environment - By Gov. Josh Shapiro & Nick Deiuliis, CEO CNX Resources
-- PA Capital-Star: CNX Gas Company Begins Self-Reporting Air Quality Data As Part Of Shapiro Partnership
-- Bob Donnan Blog: Oil & Gas Industry Air Pollution In Pennsylvania
-- Bob Donnan Blog: Oil & Gas Industry Groundwater Pollution
-- Marcellus Shale Gas Industry Coalition: All We Want For Christmas Is - Permit Reform; More Energy Infrastructure
-- StateImpactPA - Rachel McDevitt: PA Shale Gas Drilling Activity, Gas Prices Fall, Report Says [406 new shale gas wells drilled in 2023 increasing DEP’s workload]
-- Bloomberg: Congressional House Democrats Investigate Diversified Energy Oil/Gas Producer Methane Emissions, Business Practices [PA Largest Conventional Well Operators]
-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Diversified Energy Oil & Gas Well Company Share Drop Sharply After Congressional Democrats Start Well Probe
-- Tribune-Democrat: CPV Fairview Natural Gas-Fired Power Plant Gets $900,000 School District Tax Repayment After Reassessment Settlement
-- TribLive: Home For Holidays Has Different Meaning For Victims Of Natural Gas Explosion In Plum Boro, Allegheny County
-- AP: 1 Dead After Propane Gas Hotel Explosion In Lancaster County
-- WPXI: Major Natural Gas Leak At Ross Twp., Allegheny County Business Forced Road Closures, Evacuations
-- KDKA: Explosion, Fire At AmeriGas Propane Gas Facility In Beaver County, No Injuries
-- Bloomberg: LNG Natural Gas Shipping Rates Slump On Lower Demand Despite Red Sea Chaos
-- Inside Climate News: Thousands Of Oil/Gas Wastewater Spills Threaten Property, Groundwater, Wildlife, Livestock Across Texas
-- Reuters: Texas Grid Over Relies On Natural Gas To Restore Power After Blackouts, Study
-- The Guardian: How US Utilities Keep Fossil Fuels In New Homes
[Posted: December 20, 2023] PA Environment Digest
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