InnerSpace Action Formalizes Leadership Team After Legislative Wins Across Six U.S. States in Support of Geothermal

Drew Nelson will serve as Executive Director as the 501(c)(4) affiliate of Project InnerSpace gears up for an expansion of its state-focused geothermal advocacy work

AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- InnerSpace Action, the 501(c)(4) advocacy affiliate of Project InnerSpace, is gearing up for a busy upcoming legislative season in 2027, and a significant expansion of its geothermal advocacy work across U.S. states by naming Drew Nelson as Executive Director of InnerSpace Action.

Two Organizations, One Mission:
Project InnerSpace, a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) Focused Research Organization, was founded in 2021 to remove barriers standing in the way of exponential global growth of geothermal energy. InnerSpace Action was formed in 2025 to transform that research into direct legislative and regulatory wins for geothermal energy, including electricity production, industrial heat, building heating and cooling, and thermal energy networks.

Since its launch, InnerSpace Action has led geothermal-supportive advocacy across six states, including Pennsylvania, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Arizona, and Louisiana, with outcomes spanning enacted legislation and policies, increased funding, clearer rules, and supportive resolutions. This work was accomplished through coalition-building with local stakeholders and boots-on-the-ground advocacy in state houses.

High Impact Outcomes:
Colorado and Texas stand out as two examples of this work. Despite their different political contexts, both states now share a legal pathway for geothermal electricity to compete for utility procurement and capital.

Colorado: On June 1, Governor Jared Polis signed SB26-142, Development of Thermal Energy Resources, sponsored by Senators Matt Ball and others. The law builds Colorado's first dedicated pathway for geothermal electricity and requires investor-owned utilities to solicit large-scale geothermal projects targeting up to 300 megawatts. SB26-142 also clears away the structural barriers that had stalled thermal energy at the local level. It lets municipalities build geothermal heating and cooling systems and directs the Energy and Carbon Management Commission and the Colorado Geological Survey to collect subsurface data, including from orphaned and marginal oil and gas wells, and report development recommendations to the General Assembly by November 15, 2026. It is the broadest geothermal package InnerSpace Action worked on this year, along with a coalition of local stakeholders and the procurement provision became a model for other states.

Texas: In the 2025 Texas Legislative session, InnerSpace Action with partners at the Texas Geothermal Energy Alliance (TxGEA) ensured that geothermal energy is eligible for the Texas Energy Fund as dispatchable generation. This ambiguity had kept geothermal developers out of a fund built for dispatchable power. SB 879 exempted closed-loop geothermal wells from certain Railroad Commission oversight and fee requirements, cutting permitting costs and time. HB 4370 made thermal energy networks eligible as public improvement projects, so cities can finance them with public bonds instead of relying entirely on private capital. These bills build off of legislation Texas passed in 2023 clarifying legal and regulatory issues around geothermal and follow the recommendations outlined in Project InnerSpace's Future of Geothermal in Texas, a report developed by Project InnerSpace's research team that InnerSpace Action then worked to turn into law. TxGEA, chaired by Barry Smitherman, former chairman of both the Texas Railroad Commission and the Public Utility Commission, led much of that groundbreaking work.

"Project InnerSpace played a pivotal role in the creation of TxGEA, and helped leverage Texas' oil and gas experience to catalyze geothermal. TxGEA has a long and productive history working with Project InnerSpace, and we are excited to continue working alongside InnerSpace Action to drive support for geothermal in the Lone Star State. We look forward to even more success in Texas in 2027 and beyond," said Chairman Smitherman.

Beyond Colorado and Texas, InnerSpace Action's work is advancing geothermal policy across New Mexico, Arizona, Louisiana, and Pennsylvania, spanning bipartisan solutions including new funding, modernized regulations, and clearer pathways for geothermal development.

New Leadership:
To lead the coming expansion of state-focused advocacy work, Drew Nelson has assumed the role of Executive Director of InnerSpace Action. Nelson has led InnerSpace Action's strategy since it was founded, including its work in Colorado and Texas, and bipartisan outcomes in New Mexico, Arizona, and Louisiana. Further work in Pennsylvania has resulted in HB 2076 passing the House and awaits further action.

"Drew has been engaged with forward-looking policy strategy since InnerSpace Action launched in 2025. His leadership of InnerSpace Action during this time of expansion and increasing momentum will supercharge the organization - more states, more sessions, and a bigger vision for geothermal in the states," said Jamie Beard, Chairman of the Board of InnerSpace Action.

Forward to 2027:
Looking forward to 2027, InnerSpace Action will expand its engagement in a new set of U.S. states, with priority given to states with good resource quality and availability, significant stakeholder engagement, and/or existing oil and gas industry presence. These states include Idaho, Oregon, Alaska, Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, and Washington. Additionally, new phases of continuing work will begin in states where past wins have been achieved, with work in Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas already underway.

"Geothermal used to be a story about a handful of western states with steam close to the surface. Next-generation technology is changing that, and legislators are catching on quickly. InnerSpace Action works with policymakers to ensure that any state that wants to use its heat for electricity, industrial heat, or heating and cooling, has a way to do it. Geothermal is poised to scale and we are excited to help make that happen," said Nelson.

About Project InnerSpace
Project InnerSpace is the leading independent non-profit organization dedicated to the global development of geothermal energy. We are a Focused Research Organization on a mission to remove the major barriers standing in the way of the exponential growth and development of geothermal energy worldwide by 2030. To learn more about Project InnerSpace, please visit www.projectinnerspace.org.

About InnerSpace Action
Launched in 2025, InnerSpace Action is a 501(c)(4) partner organization that leverages Project InnerSpace's research into direct legislative and regulatory wins for geothermal electricity, industrial heat, building heating and cooling, and thermal energy networks across U.S. states, with a particular focus on states with exceptional geothermal potential and legacy oil and gas expertise. To learn more about InnerSpace Action, please visit www.innerspaceaction.org.

SOURCE InnerSpace Action