The European Geothermal Energy Council (EGEC) has welcomed the publication of the European Commission’s Electrification Action Plan, but has expressed surprised that the Geothermal Action Plan was not published alongside it.
In a statement, EGEC noted that it welcomes the new plan and endorses its central objective to speed up “electrification across the sectors that are most dependent on fossil fuels, notably transport, buildings and industry”.
The Commission’s Electrification Action Plan aims to make Europe the first “electro-powered continent” and develop a stronger carbon market to support industry in the clean energy transition.
To deliver this, the Commission will create a Geothermal Stakeholder Partnership by Q1 2027 to remove regulatory, technical and investment barriers and accelerate the deployment of geothermal in Europe.
EGEC noted that the Geothermal Action Plan is “urgently needed” as a roadmap for the new partnership to front-load investments in Europe’s energy security, competitiveness and affordability.
It added that the crisis in the Middle East had already cost energy consumers across the European Union an additional €53bn on energy imports — a situation requiring “dramatic course-correction”.
“The Commission’s plan highlights the vital role of geothermal for Europe’s energy independence powered efficiently by clean, local, and affordable energy,” said Philippe Dumas, Secretary General of EGEC.
“The creation of a Geothermal Stakeholder Partnership should provide the engine needed to rapidly scale-up geothermal deployment in Europe. Now the Commission must also come forward with a robust European Geothermal Action Plan, which could provide a roadmap for the Stakeholder Partnership to fast-track investments.”
The EGEC statement also welcomed actions to remove barriers to the deployment of renewable heating technologies including thermal storage, reference to geothermal passive cooling combined with measures to accelerate the deployment of geothermal heat pumps in public buildings.
The future adoption of a Cooling and Heating Plan should aim at phasing out fossil fuels and “to address the growing need for efficient cooling”, it noted.
“Geothermal makes electrification cheap, accessible and affordable for all,” said Sanjeev Kumar, EGEC’s Policy Director.
“The Geothermal Action Plan must be published now to empower investors and consumers.”