Just In! forJanuary 18, 2025

The weekly newsletter of the New York Geothermal Energy Organization (NY-GEO)

Just In! is NY-GEO's weekly news feed for members. See more information on memberships here. If we send you a complimentary copy and you're not a member of NY-GEO, it means we value your role in the transition to renewable heating, but without a membership, please don't count on getting Just In! weekly. For past issues, check out the Just In! Archive available on the NY-GEO.org website.

The State of the State: Legislators Push Back on Hochul's Hesitancy to Impose Cap-and-Invest Plan – Kate Lisa – Spectrum News – Spectrum News – Some New York state lawmakers expressed frustration that Gov. Kathy Hochul has delayed the implementation of a cap-and-invest system to generate revenue for green energy projects. Hochul's legislative agenda for the year — outlined in Tuesday's State of the State address in Albany only referenced collecting data for the program and was silent on the release of anticipated, proposed program regulations that many were expecting to generate funds for clean energy initiatives by the end of 2025. The program would require companies that release large amounts of climate pollutants to buy credits from the state. Funds from those purchases would be used to help New Yorkers reduce fossil fuel use. They would also fund rebates to reduce utility costs for taxpayers. The Governor’s plan also made no mention of the NYHEAT Act, the provisions of which are crucial to saving NYers money and meeting building decarbonization goals.  The Governor’s State of the State book did reference $1 Billion in climate initiatives, including “incentivizing the installation of heat pumps… the building out of thermal energy networks on SUNY campuses… and leading by example via clean energy investments at State-owned facilities. Further investment will expand green transportation options across the state and support businesses of all sizes in their decarbonization journey, fostering innovation, supporting jobs, and creating new green markets.” Link.

NYSERDA’s Harris Reviews the State of the State Address – Doreen Harris, President and CEO, NYSERDA – Harris provided this review of the Governor’s State of the State climate related proposals. “Governor Hochul’s ($1 Billion as announced in her speech) investment will span across different sectors of our economy and across the State’s geography by:

• Retrofitting homes and incentivizing the installation of heat pumps.
• Ensuring our public infrastructure can serve as hubs of sustainability.
• Expanding green transportation options across the State and supporting businesses of all sizes in their decarbonization journey.

Also announced, NYSERDA will lead the development of a Master Plan for Responsible Advanced Nuclear Development in New York.” Link.

Doreen Harris, President and CEO, NYSERDA

National Grid Doubles Geothermal Rebate with Limited-Time Offer – “This Limited-Time Offer will include an increase in the Category 3 GSHP incentive rate from $1,500 to $3,000. These projects will also be eligible for an additional, per project Contractor/Customer Bonus Incentive of $2,000. Contractor/Customer Bonus will be split as $1,500 due to Customer and $500 due to Contractor.” Link.

February 4^th Day of Action for NYHEAT – Renewable Heat Now (RHN) – “The NY HEAT Act is a critical state-level bill to fight climate change by transitioning our buildings from fossil fuels to clean heating and cooling technology like heat pumps. It would also end subsidies for new pipelines and lower our utility bills to 6% of our income - it's a win-win for people and planet!  But, for our reps to feel the pressure they need to stand up to the fossil fuel industry, we need YOU to join us for this rally and advocacy day in Albany!  No prior advocacy experience is needed, just a desire to share a short story about why you want climate action, healthier communities, and lower utility bills.” Link.

NY Renews Analysis of Proposed Cap & Invest Program - Molly Robertson, Alan Krupnick, Wesley Look, Eunice Ko, Conor Bambrick, Celeste Perez, and Eddie Bautista – In anticipation of NY’s expected release of proposed Cap & Invest program regulations, climate justice and clean energy organizations have been analyzing the potential benefits of the program. Although it is now not clear when those regulations will be put forward or take effect, NY Renews has released Analyzing Affordability: Supporting Households under New York’s Cap-Trade-and-Invest Policy. “This paper analyzes the affordability of CTI (Cap Trade & Invest) for different income groups and communities by exploring how the program may affect the cost of fossil fuels and deliver benefits to households in the form of program subsidies and what we call ‘dividends’—payments not tied to particular energy-saving behaviors or investments.” POLITICO’s Weekly NY & NJ Energy (e-mailed newsletter) quotes study co-author and NY Environmental Justice Executive Director Eddie Bautista: “This idea that a low price ceiling is, in fact, the more affordable way to go? This study, for us, kind of blows that up.” Link.

Policies for Big Buildings Kick In - Akielly Hu - Canary Media - “This year, New York City and St. Louis will be the first metropolises with building performance standards to reach initial compliance deadlines. By May, large property owners will be required to submit data on energy performance and see if their buildings are up to snuff. Based on how well these programs are working, city staff will determine what challenges, including costs, administrative burdens, and public awareness, still need to be overcome — and whether they have to penalize any owners for noncompliance.” Link.

DOE Awards Big Chunk of Remaining IRA Home Energy Rebate Funds - Email from David Smedick – RMI & National Building Electrification Network – “Some news to share out of DOE as we close out this era of the agency. DOE has awarded over $7B in Home Energy Rebate program funds to every state but South Dakota (elected not to participate), Nebraska, Louisiana, and West Virginia (those applications are still under review). This is a huge milestone, and while we don’t know everything that is in store for federal funding in the coming months, this step to ‘awarded’ is significant and important for these programs.”  Link.

How Much IRA Clean Energy Funding is Left? - Paul Gerke – Renewable Energy World - “The carriage is about to turn back into a pumpkin. But before it does, the ballroom is alive with the sounds of dancing…Now, in the twilight hours of Biden’s watch, the feds are hustling to clean out the cupboards, allocating as much remaining IRA funding as possible to keep its fate out of the hands of Donald Trump…And federal funding that has already been assigned will be difficult (or impossible) to recall, giving the Biden Administration impetus for greenlighting as many important projects as possible before metaphorical midnight. According to data from Atlas Public Policy, about $74 billion of the money made available by the IRA has been dispatched, leaving roughly $20 billion at risk across about 20 different programs.” Link.

San Francisco Demonstration Project on Low-Income Electrification – Twilight Greenaway – Inside Climate News – “A Mission District demonstration project is gauging the cost of fully electrifying low-income rental properties while others will work to convince landlords and tenants of the benefits.” Link.

RMI on Heat Pump-Friendly Electricity Rates – Joe Dammel, Mike Henchen, Amar Shah - “This policy brief (focuses)… on how electricity bills are calculated, a process known as rate design. Reforming these rates is an important strategy for accelerating the decarbonization of homes and encouraging the adoption of heat pumps, an energy-efficient solution for heating and cooling.” Link.

NIPSCO is the Northern Indiana Public Service Company LLC

Understanding Thermal Energy Networks: A Building Decarbonization Approach to Achieving Scale, Equity, and High-Quality Union Jobs – Building Decarb Digest reviewed this publication from The Climate Jobs Institute (CJI) at Cornell University’s Industrial and Labor Relations (ILR) School – “Thermal energy networks are uniquely compatible with unionized trades, and utility-owned thermal energy network (UTEN) pilots are poised to bring jobs to union members and local economies.  This primer advocates for robust labor standards, union engagement, and workforce training to integrate fossil fuel workers into TENs pilot programs. A companion webinar on December 11th featured BDC’s Lisa Dix alongside key New York labor, climate, and environmental justice leaders.” Link.

New England Heat Pump Accelerator - Email from David Smedick – RMI & National Building Electrification Network – “Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island are requesting input on program design for Accelerator, which was born out of funding from the IRA’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grants (CPRG) Program through the EPA. The Accelerator is a multi-state effort led by Connecticut to accelerate the adoption of cold-climate air-source heat pumps (ASHP), ground-source heat pumps (GSHP), and heat pump water heaters (HPWH) across New England.”  Link

Cost of Decarbonization Took Center Stage at December Assembly Higher Education Hearing – Building Decarb Digest - January 2025 Jack Arpey - Spectrum News 1 – “SUNY officials addressed the challenges of working decarbonization into an already unwieldy maintenance program, one with many buildings and systems that are a half-century old or more... As they outlined plans to methodically integrate decarbonization into their building and maintenance plan, advocates like Allison Considine, senior campaign and communications manager for the Building Decarbonization Coalition, urged the state to help ease the burden. ‘The legislature needs to earmark dedicated funding for building decarbonization at state facilities and campuses,’ she said. Assembly Higher Education Committee chair Pat Fahy backed the need to take action up front as she held her last hearing as committee chair before moving on to the state Senate this upcoming session.” Link.

Allison Considine, senior campaign and communications manager for the Building Decarbonization Coalition

Ontario Launches Rebate Program that Includes Geothermal Heat Pumps – Ontario press release - “The new Home Renovation Savings Program will launch on January 28, 2025, and offer rebates of up to 30 per cent for home energy efficiency renovations and improvements, including new windows, doors, insulation, air sealing, smart thermostats, and heat pumps, as well as rooftop solar panels and battery storage systems for people who want to generate and store energy at home. Later in 2025, the program will expand to include rebates for energy efficient appliances, including refrigerators and freezers… program offerings will be expanded to homeowners who heat their homes by propane and oil, instead of being restricted to those who heat with electricity, as it was under previous governments.” Thanks to NY-GEO member Dave Hatherton for this tip. Link.

A Definitional Taxonomy for (Geo)Thermal Energy Networks - Zeyneb Magavi, Angie Alberto-Escobar and Isabel Varela - HEET - This paper explores the evolution of district heating and cooling (DHC) systems and thermal energy networks (TENs), distinguishing their origins, design principles, and goals.  The authors propose a clear, standardized definition for TENs and geothermal energy networks (GENs) to ensure these systems deliver on their promises of efficiency, equity, and scalability. Link.

BPHA Caucus Supports Call For 15 Gigawatts of Public Renewables - Rebecca Lewis – City & State – “The Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus is throwing its weight behind an effort to get the New York Power Authority to build at least 15 gigawatts of renewable energy throughout New York by 2030. Progressives and advocates for public power have been pushing NYPA to commit to building 15 gigawatts of renewable energy, and the BPHA caucus sent a letter to the NYPA board of trustees and Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday making the demand. The letter focused on the impacts of climate change on communities of color, and the benefits that expansive public renewable projects would have in those communities.” Link.

Neighborhood Network Geothermal Project Connects More Than Just Residents – Hannah Belloli – The News: Electrify and Decarbonize HVAC – “A partnership between a utility company and climate group could expedite decarbonization efforts…Approved by the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities in 2020, the $14 million Framingham project broke ground in 2023 and connects five commercial buildings and 31 residential homes through one geothermal system. ‘At a very high level, it is a one-mile shared pipe that runs throughout the neighborhood in Framingham, Massachusetts,’ Bosworth said (Eric Bosworth, manager of clean technologies at Eversource). ‘It connects approximately 135 individual customers to this shared loop. To give you an idea of overall scope, it's about 375 tons of peak heating or cooling load, depending on the season.’ The thermal energy that feeds this network comes from approximately 94 holes drilled 600-700 feet underground.  ” Link.

DRILLING WORK: Approximately 94 holes were drilled to feed thermal energy into the neighborhood of Framington, Massachusetts. (Courtesy of Eversource)

NYSERDA Supports Heat Pump Dryers – NYSERDA newsletter – “Around 80% of U.S. households have a clothes dryer, with the average household using their dryer for nearly 300 loads of laundry per year. Those who switch to an ENERGY STAR® certified heat pump clothes dryer from a standard electric dryer can expect to save an average of $330 annually. For New York households, the superior efficiency of a heat pump dryer could come at a discount through Appliance Upgrade Program rebates of up to $840.” This web page also has articles about upgrading electric panels and heating systems. Link.

Meet the 2025 Class of New State Lawmakers - Austin Jefferson - Two dozen new electeds are joining the state Legislature in Albany. City and State asked each a series of eight questions ranging from their top priority to their favorite in-district underrated restaurant. Link.

New Buffalo area State Senator April Baskin

Steven Nadel to Step Down After 24 Years Leading ACEEE – “Steven Nadel, executive director of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), will step down from his post late this year, the organization announced today. The group’s board of directors is launching a search for a successor.” Link.

Steven Nadel

NY-GEO Conference Highlights

Geothermal Incentives in Northeast: Status & What’s Coming

**Presented on October 22, 2024, at NY-GEO 2024 in Brooklyn, NY**

This panel presentation covered a range of topics outlining various incentive structures, focused largely in the Northeast - so New York, New Jersey and New England's states. Topics included: how incentives are calculated for different types of buildings and system types, the rules for these calculations, often guided by a Technical Resource Manual (TRM) and how the rules are set through a regulatory process. The panelists discussed what elements of these programs are working well and what needs work. Ideas are exchanged to improve the way GSHP incentives levels and program administration are optimized to support market development. 

Moderator:

• Bryan Roberts / Dandelion Energy

Panel:

• David Orellano / Con Edison (NY)
• Daniel Sadik / Carbon Solutions Group
• Ricky Jordan / Eversource (CT)
• Olivia Prieto / RMI (NJ)

Session YouTube Recording

Presentation Deck

Bryan Roberts of Dandelion Energy leads the panel on Geothermal Incentives in Northeast at NY-GEO 2024 in Brooklyn, NY

All Pics from NY-GEO 2024 Brooklyn Are Posted !!! – Conference Co-Chair John Ciovacco has edited and posted 540 Day Two pictures of the October 21-23 NY-GEO Conference in Brooklyn. They now join the 730 pictures he had earlier posted from Day One. Check out the action and perhaps see your pic here.

Early Bird Pricing is Open for NY-GEO 2025 in Beautiful Saratoga Springs from April 22^nd- 24^th - NY-GEO hosted two conferences in 2024 with a combined attendance of over 1,000 people. In 2025 we will hold just one conference (i.e. April 2025 in Saratoga) . NY-GEO has proven to be the must-attend geothermal conference to connect, share insights and explore the latest advances in the GSHP industry. What to expect at NY-GEO 2025:

• Pre-Conference Site Tours and Geothermal Drilling Demonstrations
• Two Days of Education with Multiple Tracks
• NEW Larger Exhibitor Space
•  Annual Dinner and Top Job Awards

Mark your calendars and be part of the geothermal conversation. Your voice, expertise and participation are what makes NY-GEO conferences so valuable! Learn More and Register for NY-GEO 2025. 

Contractor's Corner:

Important Geothermal Tax Credit Survey from NREL – IGSHPA - “The National Renewable Energy Laboratory is working… to proactively assess the evolving U.S. geothermal energy landscape. Tax credits are a specific focus, including residential geothermal heat pumps… commercial geothermal heat pumps… and commercial geothermal electric power generation…. Geothermal project uptake has lagged other technologies, and we would like to understand why... We are interested in your experience in the geothermal industry and would appreciate if you take the next 10 minutes to answer the following questions. NREL is specifically interested in responses from customer-facing service providers in the geothermal heat pump and electric industry (such as installers or electric operators, but not including equipment manufacturing).  No personally identifiable information will be collected as part of this questionnaire... All but four questions are optional.” Link.

Modelling Guide for Unmet Load Hours – Design Builder – “The 'Unmet load hours' metric indicates periods when an HVAC system fails to maintain desired indoor conditions. It is commonly used as a key diagnostic measure in LEED and ASHRAE 90.1 energy performance assessments as well as in general building simulation work. Our latest modelling guide provides a comprehensive approach to understanding and working with this metric.” Link.

Groundwater and Its Connection to Surface Water – The Driller staff – “NGWA (National Groundwater Association) Darcy Lecturer Reed Maxwell, along with other partners, have created a simulation that maps underground water on a continental scale. The results of three years' worth of work studying groundwater from coast to coast. The findings plot the unseen path that each raindrop or melted snowflake takes before reemerging in freshwater streams.  Following water from the land surface to the depths far below and back up again, emerging up to a hundred miles away after spending from 10 to a hundred thousand years underground.”  2^nd heading at this link.

DOE Geothermal Heating and Cooling Funding Opportunity – The Driller - "A maximum Phase I award of $200,000 to be used for three research subtopics for geothermal heating and cooling… topic areas are:

• Low-impact drilling systems for geothermal heat pumps (GHPs): This subtopic is to support the research, development, and demonstration of advanced drilling systems for GHPs, with a focus on compact, automated, and robotic technologies.
• Rapid site assessments for GHPs: This subtopic aims to develop advanced tools for rapid site assessment and screening of GHP installation locations…
• Geothermal heating and cooling for protected agriculture: This subtopic focuses on creating affordable geothermal heating solutions for greenhouses and other controlled farming environments with the goals being to support year-round food production; improve energy efficiency; and reduce fossil fuel use.” Link.  

Variable Refrigerant Flow Heat Pumps – Big Ladder Software – “Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF, or Variable Refrigerant Volume) system is an air-conditioning system that varies the refrigerant flow rate using variable speed compressor(s) in the outdoor unit, and the electronic expansion valves (EEVs) located in each indoor unit. The system meets the space cooling or heating load requirements by maintaining the zone air temperature at the setpoint. The ability to control the refrigerant mass flow rate according to the cooling and/or heating load enables the use of as many as 60 or more indoor units with differing capacities in conjunction with one single outdoor unit. This unlocks the possibility of having individualized comfort control, simultaneous heating and cooling in different zones, and heat recovery from one zone to another.” Link.

Multi-stage control strategy to adjust the system capacity during low load conditions [fig:multi-stage-control-strategy-to-adjust-the-system-capacity-during-low-load-conditions]

BPI HPXML Standard Seeking Input During Public Review Period – “The Building Performance Institute, Inc. (BPI) is seeking input from the public on BPI 2100, Home Performance Related Data Transfer (the HPXML Transfer Standard). BPI’s Data and Modeling Standards Technical Committee (DM-STC) has approved the release of the draft Version 4.1, for a 45-day public comment period ending on February 28, 2025.  HPXML is a data transfer protocol that can be used to exchange information between different software systems.”  Link

Climate Updates:

"We know from a recent study that every tenth of a degree in temperature rise that we prevent keeps 140 million of our brothers and sisters in habitable zones on this planet. And nothing has changed my basic conviction about the key: we need to keep building huge movements to finally break the political power of the fossil fuel industry and force the emergency conversion to clean energy." —Bill McKibben

The Toxic Ash in Los Angeles - - Inside Climate News – “The firestorms that began 10 days ago are releasing chemicals from electronics, laminated floors, treated wood, paint, metals, cleaning products stored under sinks and an incalculable volume of plastics. Fallout from urban fires typically includes heavy metals like lead and mercury along with PCBs and noxious gases, all of which are now hovering over or landing around homes of Angelenos."  Link.

Supreme Court Declines to Block Climate Change Lawsuits – Lindsay Whitehurst - Associated Press – “The Supreme Court said Monday it won’t hear an appeal from oil and gas companies trying to block lawsuits seeking to hold the industry liable for billions of dollars in damage linked to climate change. The order allows the city of Honolulu’s lawsuit against oil and gas companies to proceed. The city’s chief resilience officer, Ben Sullivan, said it’s a significant decision that will protect ‘taxpayers and communities from the immense costs and consequences of the climate crisis caused by the defendants’ misconduct.’ ” Link.

‘Virtually Any City on Earth Can Burn Now’ - Kiley Bense – Inside Climate News – “In the superheated 21st century, the old rules for wildfires no longer apply. John Vaillant, author of ‘Fire Weather,’ explains… ‘We’re going to have to let go of a lot of the 20th century,’ Vaillant said. ‘That’s what these events are telling us. The 20th century is over, and we really have to rethink how we do everything, from how we get our energy to how we build on a planet that we have made much more dangerous.’ ” Link.

Peering Into a Bleak, 'Uninsurable Future' - Kiley Price – Inside Climate News – “From 2011 to 2018, Dave Jones served two terms as the California insurance commissioner, where he regulated insurers amidst some of the state’s most destructive wildfires…In 2024, insured losses from natural disasters reached $140 billion as climate change 'is showing its claws,' according to reinsurance company Munich Re. Consumers and companies alike are taking hits. For example, since 2021, at least nine property and casualty insurers have gone bankrupt in Florida, largely because they don’t have the money to pay out rising claims. ‘We’re marching steadily towards an uninsurable future in this country and across the globe, because we’re not doing enough to deal with the underlying cause,’ Jones said.” Link.

Frequent Sources for Just In! briefs:

City & State First Read

POLITICO (Weekly NY & NJ Energy email)

Canary Media

Sunstone Strategies & the National Building Electrification Network

HEATMAP

Author Bill McKibben

Renewable Energy World

Inside Climate News

Building Decarbonization Coalition

Renewable Heat Now

NY State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA)



Just in! thanks NY-GEO board member John Ciovacco of Aztech Geothermal for his weekly proofreading contributions to this publication and Paul Maliszewski for his work on the briefs.

EVENTS:

*Indicates a New Listing ** Indicates Updated Information

2025 01 20 & 21 – IGSHPA Courses at Iowa Geothermal Assn. Conference - The Hotel at Kirkwood Center Cedar Rapids, IA- IGA will be hosting two technical training sessions taught by IGSHPA instructors, a GSHP Installation Technician course and a GSHP Service Technician course. Each course individually is $500. Both courses are $900. The installation course will be on Monday; the service course will be on Tuesday. Register here.

2025 01 21 to 23 - Accredited Installer Training with HRAI-Online – “The IGSHPA Geothermal Accredited Installer Course includes topics such as: Design and Material Options; System Layout; Pipe Joining Techniques – Hands-on for butt, socket, saddle and electro fusion; Trenching/Drilling Processes; Air and Debris Purging; Pressure Drop Calculations; Pump and Fluid Selection; Thermal Conductivity; Start-up, Performance Checking & Troubleshooting. Upon successful completion of the corresponding exam, IGSHPA Accredited Installer certification will be provided.” Register here.

2025 01 22 – NY Renews Fund Climate Mobilization in Albany – 10:00 am to 4:00 pm ET - “2025 will be a crucial year for the implementation of New York’s landmark Climate Law, as the state begins to collect billions in climate funding from Cap-Trade-and-Invest. This marks the first-ever dedicated revenue for our landmark Climate Justice Law. We need to ensure these funds serve our communities, not corporate interests.” More here.

2025 01 23 - How Do States Support - Or Thwart - Ground Source Heat Pumps? – 1:00 pm ET – Kathy Hannun - Dandelion Energy – SwitchBox Speaker Series - “In 2024, State legislators proposed 42 bills across 14 states to promote the development of geothermal heat pumps. But what’s happening on the ground? Which policies are doing the most to speed — or impede —geothermal deployment? Dandelion is working with home builders and building out a national installer network for their ground source heat pumps, with >3,000 installs in 5 states, and they are constantly evaluating which states are ripest for expansion. She will share the good, the bad, and the ugly of your state's approach to geothermal.” Register here.

2025 01 23 – Renewable Heat Now January Power Hour– 7:00 pm ET - “Join Renewable Heat Now for our monthly virtual power hour! These meetings are a great place to learn, get plugged in, and take quick and easy but impactful actions with us. We're fighting for policies and funding to phase fossil fuels out of buildings to fight climate change, lower utility bills, create good green jobs, and make New York healthier!” Register here.

*2025 01 27 – Updates on Financing for Building and Retrofitting High-Performance Multifamily Housing – 3:00 pm ET - Community Preservation Corporation (CPC) Climate Capital -“Our panelists will present an introduction to CPC Climate Capital that details how our program finances high-performing multifamily housing projects. Participants will receive guidance on DBRA and BABA compliance, information about upcoming technical assistance and the latest updates to our term sheets.” Register here.

2025 01 28 - Ground-Source Heat Pumps: Successful Applications and Opportunities for Expansion - 12:00 pm ET - The Community Preservation Corporation - CPC is pleased to invite you to our webinar focused on ground-source heat pumps (GSHPs), also known as geothermal heat pumps…  During this session, NY-GEO board member John Ciovacco, President of Aztech Geothermal, will introduce these systems and highlight successful applications of GSHPs across NYS, explaining the conditions that set these systems up for success. Secondly, in 2021, NYSERDA launched the Community Heat Pump Systems pilot program, which offered funding assistance to perform feasibility studies, detailed designs, and the construction of thermal energy networks. NYSERDA’s Sue Dougherty, Program Manager of Community Thermal Networks, will highlight program successes, next steps that arose from this program, and other funding opportunities for harnessing geothermal energy. Register here.

2025 01 29 to 31 - IGSHPA Accredited Installer (AI) Course - 8:00 am to 5:00 pm ET each day -  Held at the Energy Catalyst Training Facility in Troy, NY, this 3-day course will allow attendees to take a test to become an IGSHPA certified contractor. This certification is required to be a participant in the NYS Clean Heat Program and is recognized by most rebate agencies, including Mass Save and Efficiency Vermont. This Accredited Installer training will be provided by NY-GEO member and IGSHPA Certified Trainer Jacquie Scherer. HDPE pipe fusion training is included. Register through the IGSHPA events page. This web page also includes links for other IGSHPA trainings, including Certified GeoExchange Designer, Geothermal Inspector and Selecting a Ground Source Heat Pump Team.

*2025 01 29 - Four Crucial Concepts for Renewables - 2:00 pm ET - McNeil Centre for Applied Renewable Energy at Concordia University of Edmonton - “The renewable energy sector needs to assess our advantages in all end-use applications, so we can validate our efficacy, strengthen our marketing, reduce reliance on public funding, and eliminate much of the greenwashing that exists. This webinar will discuss the four critical concepts of labelling, focusing, ranking and counting, which must be adopted if we expect politicians, regulators, utilities and consumers to fully appreciate our ultimate potential. Speaker for this kick-off webinar: Bill Eggertson of NetZeroPLUS Canada.” Advertised as: “a seminar with major implications for ground source heat” Join with Google Meet.

*2025 02 04 – National Grid Clean Heat Program Contractor Training – 9:00 to 10:15 am ET – “This event is aimed at helping National Grid Participating Contractors gain a better understanding of recent program updates and upcoming changes to the 3/1/2025 NYS Clean Heat Program Manual including, but not limited to:

• New Custom and Prescriptive Incentive Levels
• Eligibility for Heat Pump Roof Top Units (RTU's)
• New Participating Contractor Badging System
• Guidance on Custom Clean Heat Projects with Construction Completion dates after 1/1/2026 as well as projects with NYSERDA funding
• Contractor Awards
• Q&A   Register here.

2025 02 04 – Renewable Heat Now Albany Rally and Lobby Day – 10:00 am to 4:00 pm ET - “Join Renewable Heat Now and allied groups as we call the Legislature to Pass the NY HEAT Act in the budget for cleaner heat and lower bills.” RSVP here.

2025 02 11 & 12 – Building Performance Contractors Conference – The Saratoga Hilton in Saratoga Springs, NY - “Join us for the inaugural BPCA Biennial Conference, where industry leaders, innovators, and sustainability advocates converge to explore the future of building performance!... This groundbreaking event will focus on strategies, technologies, and best practices to enhance efficiency and sustainability in building operations.” Link.

2025 02 13 – Selecting a Ground Source Heat Pump Team – 10:00 am to 3:00 pm ET – This “IGSHPA course (is) designed as a guide for architects, engineers/designers, building owners, client representative, developers, project managers and general contractors.” Among the objectives: “Develop, specify and issue concise project documents”. Register here.

*2025 02 19 – Electrify Now Explores Geothermal Heat Pumps – 3:00 pm ET - NY-GEO board member John Ciovacco, President of Aztech Geothermal, will present in this session of the Electrify Now series, which educates consumers on the Whys and Hows of replacing fossil fuel devices with clean electric alternatives. “Learn about the most efficient HVAC system available, which harnesses the naturally existing heat contained within the earth.” In-depth description of event here. Register here.

*2025 02 28 – (Postponed from 01 16) - NYS Codes Council – 10:00 am ET with public comment period at the end – The Council is currently involved with establishing the next Uniform Code and Energy Code, which are to take effect in 2026. New York’s All-Electric New Building Act is to be enacted as part of this process. The meeting of the State Fire Prevention and Building Code Council on Friday December 06, 2024 was rescheduled to January 16th via videoconference call (WebEx) at the following locations:

·       99 Washington Ave., Albany, in Conference Rooms 505, 1112 & 1135;

·       123 William Street, New York, in Conference Room 231; and

·       295 Main Street, Buffalo, in Conference Room 803.

Anyone interested in attending the meeting in-person is encouraged to email Code.development@dos.ny.gov prior to the meeting with the location they plan to attend. Alternatively, the public may attend the live meeting remotely from any location Register here.

**2025 03 11 to 13 – 2025 IGSHPA Annual Conference – Breaking New Ground– From the International Ground Source Heat Pump Association (IGSHPA): “Join us in Champaign, IL next March for our 2025 Annual Conference in collaboration with the Geothermal Alliance of Illinois!  Don't miss out on early bird pricing (ends January 31, 2025!), and as always, if you are a GAOI or IGSHPA member you get to register at a discount!” The conference agenda is now available on the conference website. Link.

2025 04 22 to 24 – NY-GEO 2025 in Saratoga Springs – Early Bird Pricing is now available! This Upstate event will be our only/sole NY-GEO conference in 2025. For 2026 the NY-GEO conference is planned to be located Downstate – NYC area. The April 2025 NY-GEO events in Saratoga will include Pre-Conference Geothermal Drilling Demonstrations & GSHP Site Tours followed by 2 Days of Conference Education Sessions, co-located with a great Vendor Exhibition Hall. Check the NY-GEO 2025 Saratoga Springs page for information as it becomes available.   

Become a NY-GEO Member - NY-GEO is the driving force in the mass adoption of Ground Source (Geothermal) Heat Pumps for residential, commercial, and utility-scale heating and cooling in New York State. NY-GEO's mission is to grow the geothermal heat pump industry and develop its workforce while educating policymakers building/property developers and residents about the benefits of geothermal heat pumps.

We are a member-funded, non-profit trade organization and we depend on YOUR SUPPORT to expand the use of clean, renewable, geothermal heating and cooling systems for the benefit

of all.

Learn more about the benefits of becoming a NY-GEO member and why your membership is important to advancing GHP, Click here.