Press Release: Geothermal Rising launches Regional Interest Group for Texas, Louisiana and Oklahoma at the Offshore Technologies Conference
Houston, TX May 1, 2023 — Today, Geothermal Rising, a non-profit that builds and empowers the geothermal industry and educates external audiences about geothermal technologies and applications, announces the launch of the Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma (TXLAOK) Regional Interest Group (RIG).
The TXLAOK RIG will amplify the regional voice of a rapidly growing geothermal industry in Texas that is quickly spilling over the boarders into Louisiana and Oklahoma.
“The geothermal industry has been around for over one hundred years, but is now at an inflection point where technology, understanding of the subsurface resource, and demand for clean, baseload energy sources are aligned. Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma represent significant opportunities in geothermal, and by establishing this regionally focused industry group we aim to foster collaboration that will accelerate the benefits of geothermal to our local communities and businesses,” said Bridget Silva, Vice President of Business Development at Criterion Energy Partners, a Texas-based geothermal company harnessing the power of geothermal for industrial heat and power applications.
Interest in the geothermal industry is rapidly increasing as traditional energy companies innovate and expand into cleaner energy technologies. Geothermal energy is a stable and reliable clean energy technology and the only energy resource that heats, cools, and produces electricity. Geothermal offers cost savings and clean energy to ranchers, farmers, homeowners, chemical manufactures, hydrogen production companies, commercial building owners, and electricity developers and utilities. Business and economic development stakeholders also recognize the value of geothermal in progressing human development.
“Having spent my career focused on the hydrocarbon frontier markets, it is exciting to watch the advancements in geothermal. Creating opportunities for jobs and new energy production will help leverage the decades of expertise with traditional energy markets. The industry that made shale production economic as well as developed the technology for offshore production miles below the water line and deep beneath the mudline will unquestionably create the next steps to improve the economics and technology within geothermal production. I can’t wait to see what happens next within this advancing energy frontier,” said Kerry Fellers, Director of Business Development at Teverra, who is based in Houston,TX.
“Expro has long supported the global geothermal industry but the Geothermal Rising TXLAOK RIG allows our North American, Houston-headquarters to have a local entity focused on the region’s best interests for geothermal development,” said Patrick Hanson, Senior Geothermal Development Manager at Expro, a well integrity, energy services leader and Board Member of the International Geothermal Association.
The TXLAOK RIG serves to empower and build the geothermal community in the region. It will align and support efforts by Geothermal Rising and the Texas Geothermal Energy Alliance (TXGEA) to promote, education, and familiarize geothermal technologies and applications to external audiences.
“We look forward to advancing our collective vision to promote the geothermal industry in Texas and throughout the region,” said Executive Vice President Matt Welch of TXGEA. “This is a great example of the powerful and impactful partnerships forming around the country to empower the geothermal community and launch the geothermal decade,” said Dr. Bryant Jones, Executive Director of Geothermal Rising.
The potential of geothermal development in Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma is massive as evident in a recent report published by The University of Texas Austin and Project InnerSpace titled “The Future of Geothermal in Texas.” This report highlights the impressive energy opportunity geothermal resources offer the region and the critical workforce, knowledge, and technology transfer that is actively shifting from the oil and gas industry into the geothermal industry. This transfer allows the United States to complete its clean energy transformation with clean, renewable, and predicable geothermal resources all while respecting the experience and skills of the people in high-paying jobs of engineering, rig operations, subsurface reservoir management, geology, chemistry, physics, and drilling operations, to name a few.
About Geothermal Rising: Geothermal Rising (GR) is the largest and oldest geothermal membership organization in the world, founded in 1972. As a nonprofit, GR serves to build community and empower the geothermal industry by aligning all geothermal technologies and applications including geothermal ground source heat pumps, geothermal direct use applications, and geothermal power production. GR is a nonprofit educational association, community organizer, and research organization. GR serves as the primary professional and educational association for the geothermal community and is a focal point for continuing professional development for its members and external audiences through its outreach, education, information transfer and education services. https://www.geothermal.org/