Geothermal Energy Tax Credit Offering

 Eligible applicants

• Private entities: Geothermal drillers, geothermal energy project developers, contractors, public service utilities (gas and electric), and others (approved by program)
• Local Governments: Statutory or home rule municipalities, counties, cities and counties, or special districts
• Tribal Governments: Federally recognized Indian Tribe, including its business operations and wholly-owned entities, with reservation lands within the State of Colorado or operating within the state
• Public-Private Partnerships: Partnerships between local governments and private entities 

Eligible project costs & types

• Colorado Geothermal Investment Tax Credit (ITC): Applicants developing a geothermal energy project may apply for an ITC. Projects must focus on evaluating and developing a geothermal resource to produce electricity or a thermal energy network, including:
  • The exploration and development of wells
  • Drilling exploration and confirmation wells
  • Production of electricity using heat from oil and gas operations, as long as the electricity is utilized to reduce on-site emissions and the project would not otherwise be economically feasible as a geothermal energy project
  • Drilling injection wells
  • Flow testing
  • Reservoir engineering
  • Geothermal energy storage
  • Coproduction of geothermal energy including for industrial uses or thermal energy networks
  • Power generation equipment
  • Studies to identify and explore resources that may be suitable for geothermal electricity generation and may include hydrogen generation or utilization of direct air capture technology
  • Thermal energy network study which can include an energy and emissions scoping study, a feasibility study, an investment grade energy audit, a detailed engineering design, or a combination of these options that meets or exceeds CEO standards
• Colorado Geothermal Production Tax Credit (PTC): Applicants who produce electricity from geothermal energy, for sale or for their own use, may receive a refundable tax credit based on the amount of electricity produced. Qualified geothermal electricity power facilities include:
  • Conventional Hydrothermal Systems (CHS)
  • Advanced Geothermal Systems (AGS)
  • Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS)
  • Supercritical Hot Rock (SHR)
  • Geothermal power plants with synergistic technologies (e.g. thermal energy networks, hydrogen production, direct-air capture)
  • Coproduction of geothermal energy
  • Hybrid or energy systems that generate electricity from a geothermal production well, including but not limited to:
    • Geothermal and Solar
    • Geothermal and Wind
    • Green Hydrogen Production

Awarded applicants may only use the tax credit for approved geothermal energy projects that start on or after January 1, 2024 and are complete by January 1, 2033. 

Eligible entities with an investment GETCO reservation must show associated project expenses from the given tax year to claim all or part of their ITC. Eligible entities with a production GETCO reservation must show the amount of electricity produced within a given tax year to receive their PTC.

CEO may reserve all, part, or none of the credit amount requested in the eligible taxpayers application. 

• Investment Tax Credit: Up to 30% of investment cost (up to 50% in some cases, to be determined by CEO), not to exceed $5 million per project
  • On a case by case basis, CEO may increase the awarded ITC amount to up to 50% for projects that have significant potential to result in geothermal electricity production or demonstrate the use of geothermal energy to advance electricity production capabilities in Colorado. A project may not claim more than $5 million in tax credits for the duration of the program.

• Production Tax Credit: $0.003/kWh or $3/MWh, Up to $1 million per tax income year

The first round of GETCO is now closed. Application resources and materials from the first application cycle are linked below for reference to help potential applicants prepare for future funding cycles.

Note that the first application cycle did not include thermal energy networks or studies as eligible projects. Application requirements and materials are subject to change for future application cycles. The next application round will open October 1, 2024.

View GETCO Cycle 1 Application Materials

If you have issues accessing the application materials, please reach out to ceo_geothermal@state.co.us.

Applications will be reviewed and scored by a scoring committee. 

CEO will consider the following factors, in addition to any other factors the office may establish in its standards:

• The workforce development and geothermal sector growth that the project will promote, including supporting workforce transition;
• Whether the proposed project demonstrates effective and unique technology and circumstances that are supported by public outreach and education;
• The extent to which the project supports community resilience by using geothermal to decarbonize building heating/cooling or to enhance the electric grid, such as through energy storage and electric grid reliability, especially in rural or isolated communities; and
• Whether the proposed project serves a disproportionately impacted community or a just transition community, or is within a nonattainment area.

Additionally, evaluating and approving geothermal energy projects includes considering whether a project:

• Demonstrates technology to further the adoption of clean, firm carbon-free electricity derived from geothermal energy in the state;
• Supports replicable, cost-effective emissions reduction outcomes, and can serve as an example to help expand geothermal capacity in the state; and
• Directly, or through technological demonstration evaluated and approved by the CEO, will lead to measurable greenhouse gas reduction outcomes for the state.

CEO will notify awardees of the awarded tax credit amount and the income tax years when the awarded tax credit will be available. Awardees will report their project expenses and/or electricity production to CEO through regular reporting methods. CEO will provide a tax credit certificate to the awardee to file with the Colorado Department of Revenue during their tax filing period. If the credit exceeds the income tax due for the taxpayer, the excess credit will be refunded. Any unused tax credit amount will expire after the 2032 income tax year. 

Tax-exempt institutions are able to realize this refundable state tax credit, as applicable, by providing their assigned Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN).