The Joint State Government Commission of the State of Pennsylvania has published a report that examines the applicability of different geothermal technologies to develop the resources in Pennsylvania and citing potential opportunities in abandoned mine water facilities and oil and gas wells. The report also recommends further actions for state agencies, policy makers, and education and advocacy bodies.
The report was prepared in response to House Resolution 185 of 2023, as requested by Rep. Joe Webster (D-Montgomery). The Joint State Government Commission is the primary non-partisan research organization of Pennsylvania, providing legislature with a readily available mechanism for conducting interdisciplinary studies.
Among the findings of the report is the identification of 388 potential geothermal sites near mine water sources in the Commonwealth. However, further modeling by the Bureau of Ecological Survey is recommended to increase the adoption of such systems. Furthermore, a regulatory framework needs to be established to provide a process for review and approval of such projects.
The report emphasizes the importance of using geothermal for heat, particularly couple with heat pumps. This technology is efficient and highly scalable. A major challenge is the lack of distribution infrastructure that will allow for large-scale geothermal heat pump networks, thus making such projects more capital-intensive. The goal is then to utilize thermal water from flooded mines to reduce the cost of building geothermal systems.
Interestingly enough, this is already the second extensive report to come out this year on the geothermal potential of Pennsylvania. In February 2025, Project InnerSpace, in collaboration with Pennsylvania State University published “The Future of Geothermal in Pennsylvania” which highlights opportunities for geothermal use for the state’s residential, commercial, agricultural, manufacturing and pharmaceutical sectors.
Source: Joint State Government Commission and PA Environment Digest Blog
