GEO IS the Geothermal Industry

The Geothermal Exchange Organization (GEO) is the U.S. geothermal heat pump (GHP) industry’s primary political representative, and following are a few of my reasons why.

Through its manufacturing members, GEO won the current federal 30% residential and 10% commercial tax credits. Without the residential tax credit, the retrofit market would be non-existent, and without the beneficial commercial tax code benefits, our heating, ventilation and air conditioning market share would be significantly depressed. Since those tax code enactments, GEO has spent over a $million protecting them. Advocacy in Washington, DC doesn’t come cheap, but GEO understands the value of those tax code provisions for the health of our industry.

GEO was instrumental in getting the state of Maryland to amend its state statutes to include GHPs in their Renewable Energy Portfolio Standards, incenting electric utilities to promote them. We are supporting efforts in at least a half-dozen additional states to do the same. In Illinois, GEO has recently hired a lobbyist to assist the effort.

The federal government just announced a national pilot program for utility On Bill Financing (OBF) to help small businesses with the initial costs of installing ground loops and GHP systems. The OBF concept embraced by this pilot program was the direct result of my testimony for GEO before the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, and the appropriation it received as bipartisan support in the House of Representatives.

Through our public relations and communications efforts, we have published numerous articles in trade magazines promoting our GHPs. We’ve attended, presented and displayed at numerous trade shows. Indeed, I offered two presentations at the recent Mechanical Systems Week – Comfort Tech Expo in Chicago. GEO financially supported and presented at the American Ground Water Trust’s national series of seminars for architects and engineers during 2012. And we will exhibit at the National Ground Water Association Expo and Convention in Las Vegas on December 5-6.

With this and more, I think you will agree that GEO is truely representative of the U.S. geothermal heat pump industry. We’re young and growing, and our track record so far is impressive. We can, however, do more—much more. We appreciate the loyal support of our more than 200 member companies. But we need the support of hundreds of additional GHP companies that have not yet joined our efforts for the industry.

We need more GHP and component manufacturers. And we need more architecture and engineering firms, distributors, and dealers to Join GEO. With those members and dues, we can build on our strategy to gain bigger and better electric utility support; protect our tax benefits; build on our communications strategy—and most importantly—GROW THE INDUSTRY.

There is no better advertising than word-of-mouth. With the GEO Board of Directors and staff, I ask you to spread the word that GEO is the face and indeed—the national Voice of the U.S. Geothermal Heat Pump Industry. Urge your friends and colleagues throughout the geothermal heat pump community to support and Join GEO Today!