---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 17195a"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "17195a"
heading: "Geothermal heat pumps and direct use research and development"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/17195a"
units:
  - "Chapter 152 — Energy Independence and Security"
  - "Subchapter V — Accelerated Research and Development"
  - "Part B — Geothermal Energy"
---

# §17195a. Geothermal heat pumps and direct use research and development

- (a) **Purposes—** The purposes of this section are—
  - (1) to improve the understanding of related earth sciences, components, processes, and systems used for [geothermal heat pumps](/usc/42/17061.md?p=10) and the direct use of [geothermal](/usc/42/17191.md?p=6) energy; and
  - (2) to increase the energy efficiency, lower the cost, increase the use, and improve and demonstrate the effectiveness of [geothermal heat pumps](/usc/42/17061.md?p=10) and the direct use of [geothermal](/usc/42/17191.md?p=6) energy.
- (b) **Definitions—** In this section:
  - (1) **Direct use of geothermal energy—** The term “direct use of [geothermal](/usc/42/17191.md?p=6) energy” means [geothermal](/usc/42/17191.md?p=6) systems that use water directly or through a heat exchanger to provide—
    - (A) heating and cooling to buildings, commercial districts, residential communities, and large municipal, or industrial [projects](/usc/42/13641.md?p=2); or
    - (B) heat required for industrial processes, agriculture, aquaculture, and other facilities.
  - (2) **Economically distressed area—** The term “economically distressed area” means an area described in [section 3161(a) of this title](/usc/42/3161.md?p=a).
  - (3) **Geothermal heat pump—** The term “[geothermal heat pump](/usc/42/17061.md?p=10)” means a system that provides heating and cooling by exchanging heat from shallow geology, groundwater, or surface water using—
    - (A) a closed loop system, which transfers heat by way of buried or immersed pipes that contain a mix of water and working fluid; or
    - (B) an open loop system, which circulates ground or surface water directly into the building and returns the water to the same aquifer or surface water source.
- (c) **Program—**
  - (1) **In general—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/17001.md?p=3) shall support within the [Geothermal](/usc/42/17191.md?p=6) Technologies Office a [program](/usc/42/17151.md?p=5) of research, development, and demonstration for [geothermal heat pumps](/usc/42/17061.md?p=10) and the direct use of [geothermal](/usc/42/17191.md?p=6) energy.
  - (2) **Areas—** The [program](/usc/42/17151.md?p=5) under [paragraph (1)](#c-1) may include research, development, demonstration, and commercial application of—
    - (A) [geothermal](/usc/42/17191.md?p=6) ground loop efficiency improvements, cost reductions, and improved installation and operations methods;
    - (B) the use of [geothermal](/usc/42/17191.md?p=6) energy for building-scale energy storage;
    - (C) the use of [geothermal](/usc/42/17191.md?p=6) energy as a grid management resource or seasonal energy storage;
    - (D) [geothermal heat pump](/usc/42/17061.md?p=10) efficiency improvements;
    - (E) the use of alternative fluids as a heat exchange medium, such as hot water found in mines and mine shafts, graywater, or other fluids that may improve the economics of [geothermal heat pumps](/usc/42/17061.md?p=10);
    - (F) heating of districts, neighborhoods, communities, large commercial or public buildings, and industrial and manufacturing facilities;
    - (G) the use of low temperature groundwater for direct use; and
    - (H) system integration of direct use with [geothermal](/usc/42/17191.md?p=6) electricity production.
  - (3) **Environmental impacts—** In carrying out the [program](/usc/42/17151.md?p=5), the [Secretary](/usc/42/17001.md?p=3) shall identify and mitigate potential environmental impacts in accordance with [section 17193(b) of this title](/usc/42/17193.md?p=b).
- (d) **Financial assistance—**
  - (1) **In general—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/17001.md?p=3) shall carry out the [program](/usc/42/17151.md?p=5) established in [subsection (c)](#c) by making financial assistance available to [State](/usc/42/17151.md?p=6), local, and Tribal governments, institutions of higher education, [nonprofit](/usc/42/300s–3.md?p=3) entities, [National Laboratories](/usc/42/17211.md?p=4), utilities, and for-profit companies.
  - (2) **Priority—** In providing financial assistance under this subsection, the [Secretary](/usc/42/17001.md?p=3) may give priority to proposals that apply to large buildings, commercial districts, and residential communities that are located in economically distressed areas and areas that the [Secretary](/usc/42/17001.md?p=3) determines to have high economic potential for [geothermal](/usc/42/17191.md?p=6) district heating based on the report, “Geovision: Harnessing the Heat Beneath our Feet” published by the [Department](/usc/42/17001.md?p=1) in 2019, or a successor report.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 110–140, title VI, § 616A, as added Pub. L. 116–260, div. Z, title III, § 3002(e)(1), Dec. 27, 2020, 134 Stat. 2492.)