On June 30, 2025, the beautiful town of Piancastagnaio in Tuscany hosted a groundbreaking community engagement workshop titled “Imagining Geothermal: Experiences, Perceptions and Community Perspectives.” This collaborative event brought together local residents, industry experts, and researchers to explore the multifaceted relationship between geothermal energy and community development.
The workshop represented a unique collaboration between two European research initiatives: the COMPASS project,focuses on finding cost-efficient solutions for the management of wells with superhot geothermal resources, and the GEOSYN project, which aims to advance geothermal heating and cooling integration in industrial processes. Together, these projects are working to bridge the gap between technological innovation and social acceptance.
The event was designed with three main objectives: informing and mapping community perceptions of geothermal technologies for heating, cooling and power production, while exploring opportunities for direct integrations in industrial processes. This comprehensive approach ensures that technological advancement aligns with community needs and expectations.
Setting the Foundation: Expert Perspectives
The workshop opened with welcoming remarks from Mayor Franco Capocchi, who emphasized the significance of geothermal energy for the local environment and territory. His introduction highlighted Piancastagnaio’s unique position as a community that has lived alongside geothermal development for decades.
Professor Claudio Alimonti provided participants with a comprehensive introduction to geothermal energy and its applications, establishing the technical foundation necessary for informed community dialogue. This was followed by Loredana Torsello’s presentation (COSVIG) on the social advantages and impacts of geothermal energy, which helped participants understand both the benefits and challenges associated with geothermal development.
Dario Bonciani (COSVIG) completed the opening session by presenting the European COMPASS and GEOSYN projects, explaining how these research initiatives aim to enhance both the technical capabilities and social acceptance of geothermal energy systems.
Participatory Sessions Reveal Key Insights
The heart of the workshop lay in its participatory session, where participants formed a unified discussion group to address both deep geothermal development and industrial integration aspects simultaneously.
The discussion group tackled the multifaceted challenges and opportunities associated with geothermal energy development, covering both electricity generation from deep resources and direct heat applications in industrial processes. Participants engaged with questions spanning landscape integration, community benefits, communication strategies, and industrial applications.
Key Discussion Areas: The conversations revealed sophisticated community understanding of geothermal energy’s complexities. Participants demonstrated awareness of visual and environmental considerations for geothermal plants while identifying opportunities for local economic development and job creation. They explored how geothermal integration could enhance local industrial processes and improve broader aspects of community life, from economic opportunities to environmental quality.
Community Insights: Participants offered concrete proposals for effective communication strategies and community involvement methods, emphasizing the importance of transparent dialogue between developers and local communities. Their discussions showed nuanced thinking about the trade-offs involved in energy development, providing valuable input for project planning and risk mitigation strategies.
Collaborative Knowledge Building
The workshop’s collaborative approach demonstrated that communities possess valuable knowledge and perspectives that can enhance geothermal project development. Rather than viewing communities merely as stakeholders to be informed, the event positioned residents as partners in shaping the future of geothermal energy in their region.
WORKSHOP AGENDA
See how we structured the successful “Imagining Geothermal” community workshop in Piancastagnaio. This document showcases the complete program of presentations and participatory sessions that brought together experts and local communities to discuss geothermal energy development.
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