Geothermal for direct-use heating is a proven technology that has been utilized for decades all over the world (e.g. Germany, France, and the Netherlands). In cold, cool, or temperate regions across large portions of the North American continent, space and water heating represents a significant energy demand, but North American geothermal heating is an emerging form of energy relative to other markets. This is primarily due to the challenge of competing with relatively abundant, low-cost forms of North American energy such as natural gas. As the global transition to a net-zero energy system unfolds, direct-use geothermal has the potential to become an important part of the energy mix. Canada and the United States can redeploy the wealth of data, equipment, and expertise honed from decades of hydrocarbon development into advancing geothermal and providing reliable, zero-emissions, baseload energy that enhances energy security while reducing emissions. As with how Canada’s oil sands were commercialized, or how the shale boom unlocked significant hydrocarbon resources using directional drilling and fracturing, there is an opportunity to develop a locally untapped resource by taking advantage of innovative practices. One such innovation is utilizing learnings from other markets with similar geologic conditions. These experiences can be leveraged to reduce risk and mitigate uncertainty to accelerate the advancement of North American geothermal energy. For example, direct-use heating projects in the Netherlands producing geofluids with temperatures up to 248°F (120°C) from aquifers in sedimentary basins at a depth range of 5000- 8200 feet (1500-2500 meters) reflect similar conditions found in many portions of western Canada and the United States. Strategic advice and practical experience from delivering these types of projects in other regions can create value in the North American market by providing key quality assurance services as well as commercial and technical insights that guide critical cost-saving decisions.

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