Governor Hochul Signs Bill to Ease Geo Boreholes Deeper than 500 Feet
On Thursday, September 23rd, during NY Climate Week, the Governor signed (S6604/A6949), a bill sponsored by Pete Harckham and Deborah J. Glick, the Senate and Assembly Chairs of their respective Environmental Conservation Committees. The bill removes outdated regulations for drilling closed loop geothermal boreholes deeper than 500 feet and will allow access to geothermal heating and cooling for more New Yorkers. It implements a recommendation of the Climate Action Council’s Scoping Plan, and is an important step toward the state's goal of two million electrified and electric-ready homes by 2030. There will now be a regulatory process to reset how closed loop boreholes beyond 500 feet will be regulated in the state. NY-GEO thanks the NY League of Conservation Voters, Sierra Club, AGREE (Alliance for a Green Economy), the Building Decarbonization Coalition, NYPIRG, Con Edison and many individuals for their support of this initiative.
Governor’s press release here.
NY-GEO’s release here.