Governor Kathy Hochul on Thursday signed legislation to minimize barriers to accessing geothermal heating and cooling systems to help reach the goals of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. The legislation aims to reduce costs for the installation of geothermal wells.
The bill aims to provide more appropriate oversight over geothermal drilling and mining by changing how certain wells drilled deeper than 500 feet below the Earth’s surface are regulated. Currently, they are regulated under the same provisions that cover oil and gas mines and drilling. This legislation will create new provisions, streamlining regulation of geothermal boreholes while ensuring that all deep well locations throughout the state are adequately reviewed and that potential impacts from the drilling process are mitigated. The legislation also includes provisions to ensure the protection of public safety and the environment during the drilling process.
“There is no time to waste when it comes to making lasting change to save our planet, and that requires significantly reducing building emissions using all available technologies,” Governor Hochul said. “This legislation helps us take greater strides toward clean energy in ways that will have lasting effects on our environment and public health.”
Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos said, “Tapping into the potential of geothermal energy is critical to advancing New York’s transition to cleaner energy sources, helping to reduce the use of fossil fuels currently used to heat and cool our homes and businesses. I applaud Governor Hochul and legislative leaders for this step, which bolsters New York’s decarbonization efforts by modernizing the State’s geothermal development requirements and helping to increase the availability of heat pumps and other green technology.”
