Pathways to Commercial Liftoff: Geothermal Heating and Cooling — and — Pathways to Commercial Liftoff: Virtual Power Plants 2025 Update

Excerpt:  “The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today released two reports in its Pathway to Commercial Liftoff series, one on geothermal heating and cooling and the second providing an update on virtual power plants (VPPs). … ‘Pathways to Commercial Liftoff: Geothermal Heating and Cooling’ marks the second report in DOE’s Liftoff series featuring geothermal. Geothermal heating and cooling technologies are important and underutilized solutions for supporting a more resilient and efficient national energy system, as well as reducing emissions from buildings. This report paves the way to dramatically expand the domestic geothermal industry while helping Americans have better access to local, affordable heating and cooling technologies. … The Pathways to Commercial Liftoff: Virtual Power Plants Update marks the second installment of the Virtual Power Plant (VPP) Liftoff Report. Since the publication of the 2023 Liftoff Report, the near-term pressures on the U.S. electric grid have only intensified – rapid growth in peak electricity demand, upward pressure on customer costs from growing transmission and distribution upgrades to accommodate expected load growth, and outages due to extreme weather events and aging infrastructure are placing disproportionate pressure on grid reliability, affordability, and resilience.”