GEOTHERMAL ENERGY: A RENEWABLE RESOURCE FOR COOLING OUR CITIES—STILL UNDERUTILIZED?
Format
Round table
Dec 10, 2026 — 03:30 pm - 4:30 PMSalle EOLE (Hall B3)
Speakers:
Description
Long limited to heating, geothermal energy is revealing a second facet. In the face of heat waves that last from May through September, it can also produce renewable cooling. Geocooling harnesses the stable temperature of the subsurface (8–16°C) to cool buildings and neighborhoods. Unlike conventional air conditioning, it produces no consumption spikes and does not exacerbate the urban heat island effect. Regulatory momentum is building: the “Endurance” plan, reduced VAT on cooling networks, and a requirement for cities with more than 45,000 residents to integrate heating and cooling into their local strategies.
Initial feedback is available, but three obstacles appear to persist: a lack of understanding of the resource, the cost of drilling, and a lack of local support. Barely 3,000 geothermal heat pumps were sold in 2024, compared to nearly one million air-source heat pumps.
This roundtable explores the potential of geothermal energy as a tool for urban climate adaptation, addressing key questions: Why is this solution underutilized? Will the recent regulatory framework be sufficient to trigger the expected scale-up? What economic and implementation models can help overcome these barriers?
A roundtable discussion moderated by Franck Turlan, journalist
