Earth Sciences New Zealand and Ara Ake, New Zealand’s energy innovation centre, have released the 2026/2027 Geoheat Action Plan designed to rapidly grow the use of geothermal heat throughout the country.
The Action Plan has been laid out to support the delivery of the Government’s first-ever geothermal strategy, ‘From the Ground Up’. The plan includes:
- Five new geoheat projects over 500kW in planning or operation,
- 10 or more workshops, conferences and engagement events nationwide,
- Five site visits showcasing geoheat in action,
- At least 10 publicly available reports, papers and case studies.
These actions will be delivered by the Geoheat Action Group – a consortium of industry, government, and specialist stakeholders that have played a key role in delivering the previous four action plans.
Dr Isabelle Chambefort, General Manager of Energy at Earth Sciences New Zealand, said, “By working closely with Ara Ake, we are strengthening the link between science, innovation and real world deployment, which is exactly what is needed right now.”
The Action Plan highlights the growing opportunities in low- and ambient-temperature geothermal applications. The plan places a strong emphasis on regional leadership, which is mirrored by the accelerating interest in regions including Bay of Plenty, Taranaki, Waikato, Auckland and Canterbury.