The Future of Geothermal Energy in Pennsylvania

In 2024, Project Innerspace initiated a collaborative and multidisciplinary effort involving researchers at four Pennsylvania universities and multiple practitioners from law, policy, and energy engineering to examine the prospects for geothermal energy – the naturally occurring heat in the Earth’s subsurface – to contribute meaningfully to energy utilization in Pennsylvania. The resulting report, “The Future of Geothermal Energy in Pennsylvania: Leveraging the Commonwealth’s Legacy of Energy Leadership,” provides an overview of the scientific basis for geothermal energy use in Pennsylvania, as well as the legal and policy contexts in which geothermal energy might operate. Read more using the links below, or in the February 26, 2025 press release announcing the report.

Lead Authors

Todd Aagard, Villanova University

Seth Blumsack, The Pennsylvania State University

Helen Doran, Project InnerSpace

Veit J. Matt, Independent Petroleum Systems Analyst

Ryan Madsen, ZS Associates

Trent McFadyen, Project InnerSpace

Anne Menefee, The Pennsylvania State University

Jin Wen, Drexel University

Rachel S. Winfield, Eckert Seamans

Corey Young, Washington & Jefferson College

Contributors and Reviewers

Jay Apt, Emeritus-Carnegie Mellon University

Max Clark, Washington & Jefferson College

Carlee Joe-Wong, Carnegie Mellon University

Brigid Landy Khuri, McNees Wallace & Nurick

Stephen Lee, Project InnerSpace

Dani Merino-Garcia, Project InnerSpace

Jacquie Moss, The University of Texas at Austin

Drew Nelson, Project InnerSpace

Grigorius Panagakos, Carnegie Mellon University

Buford Boyd Pollett, The University of Tulsa

Linda Ritzer, Washington & Jefferson College

Joseph A. Schremmer, The University of Oklahoma

Richard Stafford, Carnegie Mellon University

Kevin Sunday, McNees Government Relations

John Walliser, The Pennsylvania Environmental Council

Hannah Wiseman, The Pennsylvania State University