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Calls strengthen for New York geothermal legislation

Calls strengthen for New York geothermal legislation View from the Marriott Marquis' 42 floor, New York (source: flickr/ JefferyTurner, creative commons)
Carlo Cariaga 30 May 2023

Dandelion Energy and NY-GEO have published separate statements calling for the passage of legislation aiming to facilitate deeper geothermal drilling.

The New York Geothermal Energy Organization (NY-GEO) and home geothermal company Dandelion Energy (Dandelion) have published separate statements calling for the passage of S6604 by the New York Senate. This call follows the bipartisan approval of the bill in the Senate Committee on Environmental Conservation and the passage of companion bill A6949 by the full New York Assembly.

The proposed legislation, spearheaded by New York State Senator Peter Harckham and Assemblymember Deborah Glick, removes outdated regulatory requirements which unnecessarily place geothermal boreholes under regulatory requirements designed for oil and gas drilling. These existing regulations are unnecessary, as closed-loop geothermal boreholes do not involve injection into or extraction from the ground and thus do not adversely impact the environment.

Dandelion CEO Michael Sachse stated that the bill will “will save New Yorkers money and accelerate deployment of geothermal heat pumps, creating new jobs for drillers and heat pump installers.”

Geothermal heat pumps are already among the lowest-cost heating and cooling systems for New York homes and businesses. The passing of S6604/A6949 will remove impediments to geothermal installations by making it possible for geothermal installers to drill deeper than 500 feet. This will reduce the number of boreholes needed for most homes, bringing down installation costs and making more households eligible for geothermal systems. This will be done in a manner that preserves installation quality and safety precautions under the Department of Environmental Conservation Division of Water.

“To expand the drilling depth for closed loop geothermal bore holes is an important step forward to enable geothermal systems being installed in dense urban settings. We would like to thank the Legislature, the Governor and especially the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to further enable geothermal technologies to thrive in New York State to replace fossil fuels for heating and hot water needs. New York has not only become the State of Opportunity, but it has also become a leader in implementing renewable energy,” stated NY-GEO President and co-owner Buffalo Geothermal, Jens Ponikau.

Source: NY-GEO and Dandelion Energy