The study was requested by Rep. Joe Webster (D-Montgomery) in House Resolution 185 of 2023.
Introduction
The report notes Pennsylvania's energy needs are increasing largely due to the expansion of A.I. data centers.
The Commonwealth will need to add an estimated 38 gigawatts of new electricity generation capacity to the existing 40 gigawatts of generation by 2030 to keep up with this potential demand.
Accordingly, the Commonwealth must strategically pursue new energy sources, while investing in energy-saving technologies.
Data shows that the underground heat available could provide more than a thousand times the energy that Pennsylvanians consume every year.
Or to state it differently, if the existing resources and workforce of the current energy industry in Pennsylvania drilled for geothermal at the same rate that they drill for oil and gas, they could produce enough geothermal energy to meet all thermal demands for commercial heating and low-temperature industrial processes.
It is also estimated that there are approximately 700 GWs of thermal resources within 13,000 feet of the surface in the state that is available for cooling solutions.
