Representatives from Australia, Iceland and the United States signed the Charter Agreement for the International Partnership for Geothermal Technology on August 28, 2008 in Keflavik, Iceland. In 2009 Switzerland submitted an application to the Steering Committee and was invited to join the IPGT. Switzerland signed the IPGT Charter on October 6, 2010 in Reykjavik, Iceland. In 2011, New Zealand submitted their own application to join the IPGT steering Committee and were accepted. New Zealand signed the IPGT Charter on November 16, 2011 in Melbourne, Australia. The purpose of the IPGT is to accelerate the development of geothermal technology through international cooperation. EGS is in an early stage of development and groups throughout the world are working to develop effective methodologies and practices.
Given global climate change and the world's current energy security concerns, people everywhere need a reliable baseload source of renewable energy. Of the existing renewable energies, geothermal is the only one that can fill this role. It is thus imperative that geothermal energy be made a viable possibility for societies throughout the world, irrespective of their hydrothermal resources. The IPGT is working to achieve this goal.
Link to IPGT Charter (.pdf, 282kb)
Link to Freqently Asked Questions
Member Countries:
Link to Country Membership Requirements
Steering Committee:
The United States of America
- Jay Nathwani, Geothermal Technology Manager, Geothermal Technologies Program,
U.S. Department of Energy
- Karl Gawell, Executive Director, Geothermal Energy Association
Australia
- Catherine Zerger, Manager, Geothermal Energy Section, Department of Resources,
Energy and Tourism, Clean Energy Division
- Anthony Budd, Project Leader, Geothermal Energy, Geoscience Australia
- Arno Schaaf, Business Development Director, Petroleum and Geothermal, CSIRO
Iceland
- Gudni A. Jóhannesson (Chair), Director General, Orkustofnun National Energy Authority
- Ólafur G. Flóvenz, Director General, ÍSOR Iceland GeoSurvey
Switzerland
- Gunter Siddiqi, Head of Geothermal Research, CSS and Power Generation Research Program, Swiss Federal Office of Energy
- Markus O. Häring, CEO, Geothermal Explorers Int. Ltd
New Zealand
- Anne Berryman, National Manager, Science Development Ministry of Science and Innovation
- Greg Bignall, Senior Scientist, Department of Geothermal Sciences, GNS Science
