asked Her Majesty's Government:

What priority the Department of Energy and Climate Change will give to geothermal projects and development. [HL5723]

The consultation on a new UK renewable energy strategy, published in June 2008, explored what more could be done, above and beyond current policies, to increase renewable energy. The Government recognise that deep geothermal power could emerge as a source of renewable electricity and renewable heat in the medium to long term. The finalised renewable energy strategy will be published in spring 2009.

The Government have already put in place the renewables obligation (RO) to incentivise the production of renewable electricity, and under the proposed banding of the RO innovative renewable technologies such as deep geothermal would be eligible for double the normal rate of financial support per unit of electricity produced. An amendment to the Energy Bill to establish powers to create a renewable heat incentive was laid on 29 October 2008, and heat from deep geothermal plants would be eligible for support under that instrument when and if it is deployed.