Action plan

Goal 1: Improve access to geothermal data and funding to enable development

Actions

Horizon 1 (2026 to 2027)

• Establish a baseline of publicly available data (including identifying key gaps)
• Develop a sector snapshot for the geothermal sector, including the value of geothermal tourism
• Explore options for a centralised geothermal data repository
• Explore options for further low heat geothermal mapping
• Use funding ringfenced from the Regional Infrastructure Fund to enable geothermal development
• Explore options to de-risk or incentivise early-stage geothermal exploration or drilling, including support for Māori landowners and smaller players

Horizon 2 (2028 to 2029)

• Investigate appropriate mechanism(s) for ongoing provision of geothermal data to a central repository
• Consider the need for Crown involvement in further exploration or modelling

Horizon 3 (2030 onwards)

• Ongoing curation of geothermal data and insights
• Explore potential for Crown-led exploration

Goal 2: Ensure regulatory and system settings are fit for purpose

Actions

Horizon 0 (2025)

• Leverage international geothermal partnerships to support New Zealand’s sector capability and bilateral relationships (ongoing)
• Develop new planning and environment legislation that enables the sustainable use of geothermal resources

Horizon 1 (2026 to 2027)

• Clarify the application of the Crown Minerals Act 1991 to minerals in geothermal fluid
• Provide greater certainty to industry through the development of a carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) framework
• Explore whether ETS industrial allocation settings are acting to limit uptake of geothermal heat
• Explore the role of policy direction for managing geothermal resource (including the role of national direction in the new Resource Management system)
• Work with the education and training sector to strengthen geothermal career pathways to support an ongoing talent pipeline
• Consider the Waitangi Tribunal’s reporting regarding Wai 2358 (when released)

Horizon 2 (2028 to 2029)

• Ensure geothermal regulatory frameworks are fit-for-purpose and for next-generation geothermal technologies
• Investigate the appropriateness of system classifications (e.g. research system) for particular geothermal systems (following data collation undertaken in Horizon 1)

Goal 3: Advance knowledge and uptake of existing geothermal technologies and geoheat opportunities

Actions

Horizon 0 (2025)

• Support development of the New Zealand Geothermal Association’s geoheat information package for businesses looking to use direct geothermal heat for industrial/process heat (launched July 2025)
• Include the geothermal sector in the Request for Information seeking long-term partnership proposals that leverage the government’s energy use or through other mechanisms to underwrite energy projects

Horizon 1 (2026 to 2027)

• Promote the role of geoheat in the energy transition from 2026 

Horizon 2 (2028 to 2029)

• Explore mechanisms to pilot technology for commercial and residential developments
• Explore transitioning government users to geothermal technologies

Goal 4: Enable place-based geothermal clusters

Actions

Horizon 0 (2025)

• Work with geothermal customers, developers, investors, iwi, hapū and Māori landowners to grow geothermal opportunities in New Zealand (ongoing)

Horizon 1 (2026 to 2027)

• Explore how zoning provisions and new spatial planning provisions can facilitate increased investment and coordination across geothermal economic activity
• Identify geothermal tourism opportunities in Taupō and Tarawera regions, in partnership with iwi to support Māori economic development
• Use funding ringfenced from the Regional Infrastructure Fund to enable geothermal place-based clusters
• Explore options to develop a Geothermal Centre of Excellence (industry, iwi and hapū, landowners, academia and government) to encourage collaboration, information sharing and accelerate R&D

Horizon 2 (2028 to 2029)

• Explore opportunities and potential incentives for manufacturers and other sectors (e.g. horticulture, spa and wellness) to cluster or relocate

Goal 5: Drive geothermal science, research and innovation, including next-generation technologies

Actions

Horizon 0 (2025)

• Determine first test well site for supercritical/superhot geothermal

Horizon 1 (2026 to 2027)

• Explore the role of the reformed science, innovation and technology system in supporting geothermal science and understanding of next-generation technologies such as supercritical/superhot geothermal and enhanced and advanced geothermal systems (EGS/AGS)
• Undertake drilling programme for supercritical geothermal on first test well site

Horizon 2 (2028 to 2029)

• Explore options and attract funding/ investment for second supercritical/ superhot geothermal exploration well

Horizon 3 (2030 onwards)

• Develop geothermal technologies to support and install supercritical/ superhot geothermal power stations and connect to successful well sites

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