DOE Awards $1.2 Million for Geothermal Heat Pump Workforce Training

Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office (HGEO) announced $1.2 million in funding distributed among eight teams under Phase 2 of its Partnerships to Accelerate Training and Hiring for Geothermal Heat Pumps (GHP PATHs) Prize. This initiative supports regional collaborations to strengthen the workforce for geothermal heat exchange systems and shallow drilling.

Each team received $150,000 to develop formal workforce development programs during the “Engage” phase. The teams will advance to the final phase, “Execute,” where they are expected to implement their programs and report outcomes such as worker training and new hires. The selected teams are Born Global, Cold Climate Innovation, Egg Geo LLC, Energy Environmental Corporation, GEI Consultants Inc., Midwest Geothermal Collaboration/Connor Co, Nauman Innovation Group LLC, and Northwest GeoExchange.

DOE Acting Assistant Secretary Curt Coccodrilli emphasized that a skilled workforce is essential to expanding geothermal energy use. The program supports affordable, reliable, and secure energy options for American consumers and aligns with the federal administration’s broader energy agenda.