Considering geothermal energy regulations in the UK

For deep geothermal energy, there are currently no planning rules, environmental regulations or licensing arrangements that are specific for the planning and operation of geothermal schemes. Activities are regulated through existing planning, environmental and health and safety regulations, typically subject to consent and controls by several regulatory bodies, including local planning authorities (LPA), environmental regulators, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), and, if drilling encroaches on coal seams, the Coal Authority (CA) in Great Britain or the Department for the Economy (DfE) in Northern Ireland. This report highlights the practical aspects of geothermal energy regulation in the UK and what stakeholders suggest an effective regulatory system could look like. It combines investigations of how operators and regulators experience the current regulatory landscape with learnings from the UK’s experience with regulating shale gas exploration. Data collection was based on semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders, including eight industry representatives, two local planning authority representatives and four representatives from national regulatory bodies.