Following on from the European Union’s commitments to phase out energy imports from Russia, make energy affordable, boost industrial competitiveness, improve energy security and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the European Geothermal Energy Council (EGEC) insists that the European Commission must present an investment-orientated strategy and action plan to accelerate the deployment of all geothermal energy solutions. EGEC calls on the European Commission to publish a dedicated European Geothermal Strategy and Action Plan in the first quarter of 2026. This echoes requests made by EU Energy Ministers (see the TTE Council Conclusions of 16 December 2024) and also by the European Parliament (Resolution on geothermal energy, adopted on 18 January 2024). Indeed, the European Commissioner for Energy and Housing, Dan Jørgensen, has already confirmed (on 14 March 2025) that the Commission will present "an action plan on geothermal energy" before the end of March 2026. According to EGEC, the Commission’s proposal must include the following elements: An EU-wide target to reach 250 GW of geothermal capacity by 2040 covering all technologies. This will build on the 44 GW of installed capacity in the EU. A European Geothermal Charter, which codifies the 2040 target and launches the Geothermal Industrial Alliance to manage its delivery. Targeted European financial instruments to leverage private capital. Measures to make permitting processes more efficient and faster, as well as improving access to geological data. Sectoral or tripartite agreements with key energy consumers. Peer-to-peer guidance to help governments develop national and regional roadmaps to remove barriers, accelerate investments and build local supply chains. European instruments to support value chain development in local manufacturing and skilled professionals. The inclusion of geothermal energy as a central pillar of the EU’s Global Gateway and the Global Energy Transition Forum. Improvements to the collection and presentation of market data and statistics to enable better energy modelling. EGEC’s proposals are set out in a new policy document:The European Geothermal Strategy and Action Plan - Making Europe competitive, secure and affordable Watch EGEC's webinar on the launch of its recommendations for the EU Geothermal Strategy and Action Plan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxUUaWHfuM8
Brussels, 17 July 2026 – Whilst we welcome the publication of the European Commission’s Electrification Action Plan, EGEC remains surprised that the Geothermal Action Plan was not published alongside it today.
The European Geothermal Energy Council (EGEC) welcomes the Electrification Action Plan and endorses its central objective to speed up “electrification across the sectors that are most dependent on fossil fuels, notably transport, buildings and industry”. The situation in the Middle East has already cost energy consumers across the European Union an additional €53 billion on energy imports. Dramatic course-correction is required.
To deliver this, the Commission will create a Geothermal Stakeholder Partnership by Q1 2027 to remove regulatory, technical and investment barriers and accelerate the deployment of geothermal in Europe. The Geothermal Action Plan is urgently needed as a roadmap for the Partnership to frontload investments in Europe’s energy security, competitiveness and affordability.
We also welcome actions to remove barriers to the deployment of renewable heating technologies including thermal storage, reference to geothermal passive cooling combined with measures to accelerate the deployment of geothermal heat pumps in public buildings. The future adoption of a Cooling and Heating Plan should aim at phasing out fossil fuels and “to address the growing need for efficient cooling”.
Philippe Dumas, Secretary General of EGEC, stated: “The Commission’s Plan highlights the vital role of geothermal for Europe’s energy independence powered efficiently by clean, local, and affordable energy. The creation of a Geothermal Stakeholder Partnership should provide the engine needed to rapidly scale-up geothermal deployment in Europe. Now the Commission must also come forward with a robust European Geothermal Action Plan, which could provide a roadmap for the Stakeholder Partnership to fast-track investments.”
Sanjeev Kumar, EGEC's Policy Director, added: “Geothermal makes electrification cheap, accessible and affordable for all. The Geothermal Action Plan must be published now to empower investors and consumers.”
Press Release (PDF version)
For more information about the Electrification Action Plan, see the Press Release from the European Commission (17 July 2026)
For more information about EGEC’s recommendations, see our policy statement: The European Geothermal Strategy and Action Plan (December 2025)
In case of questions, please contact:
Philippe Dumas, EGEC Secretary General
p.dumas@egec.org | +32 497 45 44 37
Sanjeev Kumar, EGEC Policy Director
s.kumar@egec.org | +32 499 53 97 31
7 July 2026
EGEC, together with 85 other European associations representing key industrial and technological sectors, is calling on the EU institutions to develop and implement an ambitious 7-year research and innovation programme after the end of Horizon Europe (which runs out at the end of 2027). The next EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation will be the 10th multi-annual programme since the first was launched in 1984. FP10 will cover the seven years from 2028 until the end of 2034.
Here (below) is the text of the Joint Declaration for a Bold FP10: Investing in Research, Development and Innovation to Boost European Productivity and Competitiveness
Europe stands at a decisive juncture. The Draghi report on European Competitiveness has laid bare a stark reality: Europe's productivity growth has stalled, its innovation gap with the United States and China is widening, and the continent risks a slow but irreversible decline in its economic standing. At the same time, the Competitiveness Compass and the EU’s political guidelines place research, development and innovation (RD&I) at the heart of Europe’s strategy to reverse this trend. We, the undersigned — 86 European associations representing key RD&I stakeholders — fully endorse this diagnosis and urgently call on EU Institutions to act with commensurate ambition in designing and funding the next Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (FP10).
The Draghi report calls for an additional €800 billion per year in investment to close Europe’s competitiveness gap, with RD&I as the primary driver of sustainable productivity gains. Innovation-led productivity growth is not merely an economic imperative — it is the only credible path to financing Europe’s green and digital transitions, its open strategic autonomy, and its social model. FP10 is the EU’s principal instrument for catalysing this transformation. Its track record of leveraging private investment, maturing technologies, and building the cross-border collaborative ecosystems that no single Member State can replicate alone makes it uniquely placed to deliver at the scale and speed Europe requires.
Yet current EU RD&I spending remains wholly insufficient relative to this challenge. Europe invests significantly less in R&D as a share of GDP than its main global competitors, and the leverage effects of the Framework Programme — demonstrated conclusively by the Horizon 2020 ex-post evaluation — mean that every euro of EU public investment generates multiples in private and national co-investment. Cutting or stagnating FP10’s budget would be a false economy: it would undermine precisely the public-private partnerships, the technology maturation pipelines, and the talent networks that are indispensable to restoring European productivity growth.
We therefore call on EU Institutions to:
The window of opportunity is narrow. Decisions taken in the coming months on the next MFF will determine whether Europe has the RD&I firepower to compete globally and sustain its prosperity. We, the undersigned associations, stand ready to work with EU Institutions to design an FP10 that is bold, well-resourced, and fit to deliver the innovation-driven productivity growth Europe urgently needs.
EGEC is proud to be a signatory of the first-ever tripartite agreement on energy storage at European level. The agreement, which was prepared by the European Commission, brings together Energy Ministers from 22 EU Member States alongside associations representing storage developers and manufacturers, renewable energy developers, energy-consuming industries and financial institutions.
The objective of this agreement is to accelerate the deployment of energy storage solutions throughout the European Union, using batteries and thermal storage, in order to support the shift towards a cleaner and more sustainable energy system.
Under the Tripartite Agreement on Energy Storage …
🔷 The European Commission will support EU Member States in creating funding schemes for energy storage and help the decarbonisation of energy-consuming industries, including through the Industrial Decarbonisation Bank. It will also explore ways of supporting energy storage deployment under the Innovation Fund.
🔷 National governments will support the energy storage sector by removing barriers that slow progress. Where necessary, they will provide financial support for energy storage rollout and manufacturing through national and EU funding, and in line with State aid rules, such as the Clean Industrial State Aid Framework (CISAF).
🔷 Financial institutions (national and regional banks) will share expertise on storage projects to make them more attractive to investors, and work with the EIB Group and with each another to increase the impact of funding for storage solutions.
🔷 Providers of energy storage solutions will collaborate with industries and other large energy consumers to develop and implement plans for new energy storage projects.
In connection with the Tripartite Agreement signed on 26 June, the European Commission has shared some examples of energy storage projects that could be easily replicated. These include:
🔶 The GESIIS Project in Ostellato (Emilia-Romagna, Italy), provides a replicable model for integrating geothermal energy with high-temperature aquifer thermal energy storage (HT-ATES). The system, operated by by FRI-EL Geopower SRL, supplies heat to hydroponic greenhouses.
🔶 The Korvenmäki waste-to-energy plant in Salo, Finland, uses deep geothermal wells to store excess heat from waste incineration and then use it to supply to Salo’s district heating network. The plant is operated by Lounavoima and the wells were implemented by QHeat.
🔶 The Kuebebierg district heating and cooling project in Luxembourg will combine 10 GWh of seasonal solar-to-ground thermal storage with photovoltaic thermal (PVT) panels, 800 geothermal boreholes, and a district energy network (developed by Karno).
EGEC has also provided the Commission with further examples of successful geothermal energy storage projects that have been or are being developed by Mijnwater (Netherlands), Geothermie Neubrandenburg GmbH (Germany), Vulcan Energy (Germany) and Lithium de France.
The EU’s Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen chaired the signing ceremony, which took place in Luxembourg on Friday (26 June). EGEC was represented by our Secretary General, Philippe Dumas. Also present were the CEOs of two EGEC members: Erika Salmenvaara from QHeat and Ernst Gostner from Fri-El Green Power SpA.
According to Philippe Dumas: “Signing this Tripartite Agreement on energy storage is a proud moment for EGEC. The agreement brings together key players including storage solution providers, power and heat producers, energy consuming industries and the district heating and cooling sector, plus the banks who have a key role to play in financing energy storage projects. With the strong backing and commitment from the European Commission and national governments, we are optimistic that this agreement will provide a platform for accelerating the deployment of underground thermal energy storage across the whole of the EU, as well as the supply of geothermal lithium for batteries. In this way we can continue to show how all kinds of geothermal storage solutions can contribute to achieving a more resilient, efficient and sustainable energy system.”
For more info see the European Commission’s Press Release.
Philippe Dumas at the signing ceremony in Luxembourg on 26 June 2026.
Signatories of the Tripartite Agreement on Energy Storage (© European Union 2026)
EGEC, together with 11 other European associations - representing Europe's renewable energy sectors in all their diversity, is calling on Energy Ministers from the 27 EU Member States to outline an investment-orientated renewable energy regulatory framework beyond 2030.
Today's joint letter to EU Energy Ministers has been coordinated by EGEC in cooperation with 11 other associations and organisations: WindEurope, Solar Impulse Foundation, EUREC (The Association of European Renewable Energy Research Centres), ESTELA (European Solar Thermal Electricity Association), Ocean Energy Europe, Solar Heat Europe, EREF (European Renewable Energies Federation), Global Renewables Alliance, Airborne Wind Europe, European Heat Pump Association & SolarPower Europe.
The letter has also been copied to the relevant members of the European Commission (EVP Teresa Ribera, EVP Stéphane Séjourné, Dan Jørgensen & Wopke Hoekstra) and to the Directors-General responsible for Energy (Celine Gauer), Climate Action (Kurt Vandenberghe) and Industry (Kerstin Jorna).
In our joint letter to EU Energy Ministers, we underline the following facts:
➡️ Europe’s renewable energy sectors employ over 1,8 million people directly and 4,5 million indirectly, and contribute over €150 billion to the EU’s GDP.
➡️ Renewable energy is foundational to Europe’s strength, resilience and independence as witnessed against the backdrop of conflict in Ukraine and the Middle East.
➡️ The EU spent €336 billion on fossil fuel imports in 2025. This bill is set to rise further in 2026, undermining Europe’s energy security and competitiveness.
➡️ Meanwhile, Europe’s installed renewable energy capacity, which only comprised 25.2% of final energy consumption in 2024, saved €54.1 billion from imported fossil energy in 2025.
➡️ Accelerating the uptake of renewable electricity, heating and cooling is fundamental to Europe’s energy security. The same is true for grids, thermal networks, storage, demand response and mineral extraction.
Joint Letter on EU Renewable Energy Targets and Frameworks post-2030
EGEC hosted a Policy Session on 9 June as part of the European Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW) in Brussels. The Policy Session ‘European Geothermal Action Plan for energy security, affordability and competitiveness’ was prepared in close partnership with the European Commission (DG Energy) and Canada's Mission to the EU.
The session was introduced by EGEC's Policy Director, Sanjeev Kumar, who reminded the audience that for many years EGEC has been calling for the adoption of an ambitious Geothermal Action Plan at European level in order to accelerate the deployment and maximise the utilization of geothermal energy throughout Europe (see EGEC's proposals).
The European Commission was represented by Mechthild Worsdorfer (Deputy Director-General, DG Energy). She confirmed that the Commission is currently finalising a package of proposals that should be published before the end of July. This package will include measures to accelerate Europe’s clean energy transition and mobilise all renewable energy resources, including geothermal, building on the EU Green Deal legislation and the AccelerateEU plan.
Callie Stewart (Head of Trade Section, Canada's Mission to the EU) highlighted Canada’s support for next-generation geothermal technologies. She underlined that unlocking the potential of these technologies requires supportive policies, and confirmed Canada’s willingness to collaborate with the EU and other international partners.
Marcin Kaniewski (Business Development Consultant with Eavor Technologies Inc.) described Eavor’s pioneering closed-loop geothermal demonstration project in Geretsried (Germany), which was realised with funding from the EU Innovation Fund and a loan from the European Investment Bank. Eavor’s closed loop technology can reliably provide both electricity and heat, with a relatively small environmental footprint and low operating costs.
Marco Baresi (Vice-President of EGEC / Director of Marketing & Institutional Affairs, Turboden S.p.A.) said that when it comes to scaling up geothermal energy, Europe should learn from what has worked in the USA, notably in terms of political leadership and vision, favourable policies and suitable financial frameworks.
Lily Burge (Global Policy Lead at Climate Bonds Initiative) explained that the EU could help to drive up investment in geothermal projects by providing policy stability and by making permitting procedures both simpler and faster.
Thomas Homer-Dixon, Executive Director at the Cascade Institute, agreed that having an enabling regulatory environment is vital for drawing in private capital. He echoed the demand for faster permitting and licensing procedures, and he also called for close collaboration between the public and private sectors.
Bringing the session to a close, Sanjeev Kumar emphasized that Europe’s geothermal sector is calling for a Geothermal Action Plan that will be a stand-alone document, and which will include ambitious targets for increasing Europe’s geothermal capacity in terms of heating and cooling as well as electricity generation.
Scroll down for more photos (© European Union 2026) and a video recording of the Policy Session ...
On 3 June 2026, the European Commission published a Strategic Roadmap for Digitalisation and AI in the energy sector. This roadmap aims is to accelerate the rollout of digital solutions, including European AI solutions, in important areas for the decarbonisation process, such as electricity grid optimisation, energy efficiency in buildings and industry and demand-side flexibility.
The roadmap also addresses the increasingly heavy energy consumption of data centres and how they can be more sustainably integrated into the energy system, as well as the need to implement safeguards to mitigate potential challenges linked to the large-scale deployment of AI solutions in the energy sector.
In the framework of the roadmap, EGEC is involved in a new initiative that aims to support collaboration among European industry associations to foster the sustainable integration of data centres in the energy system. This will be done through the definition of an EU model for tripartite agreements between data centre operators, energy-related parties and public authorities.
Based on numerous examples around the world, we can see that geothermal energy is increasingly being utilized by data centre operators. The benefits of geothermal solutions include: continuous 24-7 electricity generation, highly efficient geothermal cooling solutions and underground thermal energy storage. So there is huge potential for geothermal companies to get more involved in meeting the energy needs of data centres!
Also on 3 June, EGEC participated in a Signature Event in Brussels, which was hosted by the European Commissioner for Energy and Housing - Dan Jørgensen. In the photo below (on the left side) you can see EGEC Board Member Carla Barrera (SLB), alongside our Vice-Presidents Marco Baresi (Turboden S.p.A.) and Kamila Piotrowska (Baker Hughes).
[Photo: © European Union, 2026]
Statement published by EGEC on 15 May 2026
The European Geothermal Action Plan must be presented as an independent communication because its role is to deliver real-world investments to secure Europe’s energy system. It must be measured by the quantity and quality of investments, reforms, jobs, and imported fossil fuels replaced for the security of supply. It must be both politically and financially bankable. This is why governments (Council Conclusions, 16 December 2024), the European Parliament (Resolution of 18 January 2024 on geothermal energy), investors, financiers and consumers have called for a dedicated geothermal action plan.
The following geothermal-specific measures were stipulated in the AccelerateEU communication, as published by the European Commission on 22 April 2026: EU-database of geological data, geothermal derisking and insurance schemes, international cooperation through the EU Global Gateway.
The following measures are now required from the dedicated Geothermal Action Plan:
For more details see EGEC's policy document:
Additional substantive measures for the Geothermal Action Plan (May 2026)
The European Geothermal Energy Council (EGEC) welcomes the AccelerateEU plan that was announced today (22 April 2026) by the European Commission, and which recognises the central role that geothermal energy must play in strengthening the European Union’s energy security and economic resilience, whilst also addressing the climate crisis.
The situation in the Middle East has already cost the EU more than €22 billion due to higher prices of energy imports, and will have continuing consequences for Europe’s energy, food and economic prosperity. Unshackling geothermal energy is key to accelerating energy independence and security.
The European Commission’s AccelerateEU plan highlights the value of geothermal as a unique and versatile renewable energy source with vast potential for electricity generation, heating and cooling. Geothermal solutions can provide clean and affordable energy to replace imported fossil fuels.
The AccelerateEU plan outlines a series of measures that, when fully implemented, will speed-up the deployment of geothermal energy projects across the whole of the EU: creating an EU-level database of geological data; establishing geothermal derisking schemes and insurance schemes; and promoting international cooperation on geothermal energy projects. EGEC calls on policymakers, industry stakeholders, and financial institutions to support the implementation of these proposals.
Philippe Dumas, Secretary General of EGEC, stated, “The Commission’s focus on homegrown energy correctly shines a spotlight on geothermal. It provides the right attention to massively deploy geothermal in Europe. Now it must quickly publish the Geothermal Action Plan to fast-track investments and reduce uncertainty, and save families, businesses, industries and farmers from the energy crisis.”
Sanjeev Kumar, EGEC’s Policy Director, said, “The Commission mustn’t delay. Instead, it must act on geothermal today”. He added that the absence of an ambitious target at EU level for increasing geothermal capacity was akin to “accelerating with your foot firmly on the brake pedal”.
For more information about the AccelerateEU plan, see the European Commission website: AccelerateEU to strengthen EU energy resilience
For more information about EGEC’s proposals for a European Geothermal Strategy and Action Plan, see our policy statement: The European Geothermal Strategy and Action Plan (December 2025)
EGEC, in partnership with Cleantech for Europe and Future Cleantech Architects, and with the support of 62 other companies and organisations (including many EGEC members), has sent an open letter to the President of the European Commission (Ursula von der Leyen) and to her colleagues responsible for Energy and Housing (Dan Jørgensen), Climate, Net Zero and Clean Growth (Wopke Hoekstra), a Clean, Just and Competitive Transition (Teresa Ribera), Prosperity and Industrial Strategy (Stéphane Séjourné). Our letter has also been shared with the political leaders of the EU Member States and the President of the European Council (António Costa).
"Europe faces yet another grave energy crisis. Still reliant on fossil fuel imports vulnerable to supply disruption, Europe urgently needs to strengthen its energy security and decarbonise, all the while lowering energy prices for citizens and industry, and meeting growing electricity demand. The only way out of this predicament is to rapidly deploy domestic clean electricity and heat."
In our letter, we urge the European Commission to make the upcoming Geothermal Action Plan (due to be published next month) a real investment catalyst, supported by clear political prioritisation for heat and power generation. This means:
🟥 Announcing a dedicated EU geothermal de-risking facility, with a clear and substantial funding envelope, for early-stage exploration and drilling, including first-of-a-kind projects.
🟨 Setting up bankable long-term revenue frameworks, including two-way contracts for difference (CfDs), clean heat and power auctions, and support for corporate power and heat purchase agreements.
🟩 Accelerating permitting through streamlined procedures, clear guidance to Member States, and strengthened public engagement, alongside the establishment of an EU-wide geothermal atlas for subsurface data to reduce exploration risk and accelerate project development.
🟦 Creating a European Geothermal Industry Alliance to fast-track the scaling-up of the geothermal industry, with a mandate to implement an ambitious action plan and facilitate industrial success.
EGEC, together with the other 64 signatories, stands ready to work with the European Commission to help deliver this opportunity – investing, innovating and building the projects that will underpin Europe’s clean, secure and competitive energy future.
OPEN LETTER: EUROPE RISKS MISSING THE GEOTHERMAL REVOLUTION (PDF)
The European Geothermal Energy Council (EGEC) welcomes the decision by the Government of Croatia to allocate €26 million to geothermal projects in the heating sector, as part of the 10th package of measures to protect households and the economy from rising energy prices, adopted on 23 March 2026*.
The Croatian Government will provide funding to municipal thermal energy companies, in order to finance the construction of geothermal systems and connections to existing district heating networks. The objective of this policy is to develop reliable domestic sources of thermal energy and reduce Croatia's reliance on imported fossil fuels.
At a time of continued geopolitical instability, including tensions in the Middle East, this measure represents a timely step towards strengthening Europe’s energy security through domestic, reliable and low-carbon energy sources. Geothermal energy can play a key role in reducing exposure to external supply shocks while supporting the decarbonisation of heating.
Davor Ivo Stier, a Member of the European Parliament from Croatia, stated: "At a time of global energy uncertainty, Croatia’s support for geothermal heating shows how domestic, reliable renewables can enhance resilience and reduce external dependencies and is a step towards greater energy independence, stability and affordability for our citizens."
EGEC looks forward to continued cooperation with Croatian authorities to accelerate the deployment of geothermal energy and strengthen resilient heating systems across Europe.
* https://mzozt.gov.hr/vijesti/10-paket-mjera-pomoci-gradjanima-i-gospodarstvu/10650
