Geothermal Energy

Press Release

Sen. Bernie Sanders hosted a roundtable on geothermal energy's role in moving Vermont to a cleaner, more sustainable and more energy-independent future. "While in Vermont we continue to lead the nation in energy efficiency and we are making some progress on sustainable energy, I think it is critical that at a time when we spend on average $350 billion a year for foreign oil that we tageothermal ke every possible step to invest in cleaner technologies here in the United States," Sanders said. He was grateful that more than 200 people came out to the event and thanked the participants in the panel, including Assistant U.S. Energy Secretary Cathy Zoi, U.S. Rep. Peter Welch, leading geothermal installers and experts from Vermont, homeowners and others who have installed geothermal systems.

Also known as ground-source heat pumps, geothermal energy systems are used to heat and cool buildings and homes, and can also provide hot water heating. Because the earth's temperature below the surface remains at a constant 45 to 58 degrees Fahrenheit, geothermal systems can use underground piping and pumps to provide heating when it is cool outside, and to pull heat from buildings when it is warm outside.

Geothermal heating and cooling systems can be used anywhere in the country. The Environmental Protection Agency has rated geothermal heat pumps one of the most efficient technologies for heating and cooling. For every 100,000 homes with geothermal heating and cooling systems, 2.15 million barrels of oil are saved a year and electricity use is reduced by 799 million kilowatt hours annually.

roundtable "The reason geothermal technology is exciting, in my view, is that you can save energy, reduce pollution, and save money all at once," Sanders said.

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