§17195a Geothermal Heat Pumps and Direct Use Research and Development

Summary

Creates a program inside the Geothermal Technologies Office to study, test, and show better ways to use geothermal heat pumps and to use geothermal water directly. The goals are to learn more about the earth and systems involved, make these technologies work better, cut costs, and increase their use. Three key terms are named: direct use of geothermal energy (using geothermal water or a heat exchanger for heating, cooling, or industrial and agricultural heat), economically distressed area (as described in section 3161(a)), and geothermal heat pump (systems that heat and cool by exchanging heat with shallow ground or water using closed- or open-loop designs). Research can cover eight topic areas, including better ground loops, building or seasonal energy storage, grid support, heat pump efficiency, using alternative waters like mine water or graywater, district and industrial heating, low-temperature groundwater use, and linking direct use with power plants. The Secretary must find and reduce environmental harms under existing rules. The Secretary can give money to states, tribes, colleges, nonprofits, national labs, utilities, and companies. Funding may be prioritized for large buildings, districts, or communities in economically distressed places or areas the 2019 report “Geovision: Harnessing the Heat Beneath our Feet” (or a successor) calls high-potential.