Eight projects have been selected to receive USD 150,000 each in funding for workforce development programs to support the geothermal heat pump (GHP) industry. The prize is part of a multi-phase program of the Geothermal Technologies Office under the US Department of Energy to build a stronger workforce for GHPs, which is necessary for expanding the use of GHPs for heating and cooling nationwide.
The winners and their project names are as follows:
- Born Global—The New England Geothermal Workforce Accelerator
- Cold Climate Innovation—Heating Alaska from Below: A GHP Training Program
- Egg Geo LLC—AI-Driven Geo Workforce Competency Engine
- Energy Environmental Corporation—Energy Environmental Colorado FORGE Team
- GEI Consultants Inc.—AGILE-GHP: Northeast GHP Workforce Development Hub
- Midwest Geothermal Collaboration/Connor Co—Midwest GSHP Technicians Workforce Initiatives
- Nauman Innovation Group LLC—GHP SMART CYCLE
- Northwest GeoExchange—Northwest GeoExchange Training Initiative
Prizes were awarded under Phase 2 of the Partnerships to Accelerate Training and Hiring for Geothermal Heat Pumps (GHP PATHs), a competition by the Office of Geothermal that aims to streamline workforce entry and growth in the GHP industry. Phase 2 refers to “Engage” where the selected teams are to develop comprehensive workforce development programs.
Competitors will then proceed to Phase 3, “Execute”, where their respective workforce development programs will be implemented, thus exhibiting the impact on the number of works hired and trained. Winning teams will share the remaining prize pool, with each receiving USD 100,000 to USD 400,000.
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Source: US Department of Energy
