Geothermal Heating

This trade organization of for-profit companies, with offices in Washington D.C., exists to provide information about geothermal energy and help people get in touch with professionals in the industry. The Geothermal Energy Association advocates on behalf of this industry, partly in an effort to drum up popular support (and possible subsidization increases) and, partly to assist professionals to find each other and further develop the field with technical papers. If geothermal energy is to be a prominent technology in the 21st century, the industry will need an educated workforce to deliver a quality product during a major expansion phase, as seems to happen every time the price of oil goes up in a significant way.

A searchable database is provided on their website: http://www.geo-energy.org/ and includes contractors, engineers, vendors, producers, suppliers and regional associations. Power Point presentations and reports are freely available for the download and their media department issues regular press releases as part of their advocacy mission.

Towards this end, they run a trade show every year. Exhibitors include many member companies and they provide a forum for discussing the future of the industry from the standpoint of people who actually do build power plants for a living. Many investment groups that had been significantly invested in petroleum resources have become interested in geothermal power in recent years, attending shows like this one and learning all they can about the industry.

With a small staff of professional advocates, the GEA acts as an organizing and lobbying force for the industry. Of course, this isn't a very odd thing in the nation's capital, but for so much money to be thrown around at an energy industry that proudly displays its environmental impact statements is somewhat novel.

The Geothermal Energy Association also holds regular meetings that lay out an agenda for the industry as a whole. A bit like a labour union, the GEA maintains certain principles and industry priorities that may be taken as a professional credo. These are re-examined each year when the membership body meets and votes on them.

Since the GEA is not recognized as a non-profit organization, there are dues for anyone who wants to become a member, though being listed in their database of professionals is certainly a handy benefit. Those looking to grow a geothermal business into something larger might want to consider bringing a booth to the GEA trade show and making some contacts. The geothermal industry seems to be on the brink of another major expansion and knowing who to talk to can be very helpful.

Geothermal Heating |