New Zealand Geothermal Association

What New Zealand Geothermal Association does

The New Zealand Geothermal Association (NZGA) is a non-profit industry association founded in 1992 that supports and grows sustainable geothermal opportunities in Aotearoa New Zealand. The association acts as the recognized collective voice for the country's geothermal sector, serving a membership spanning geothermal power operators, direct-heat users, consultancies, Crown Research Institutes, and government stakeholders. Its named Gold Level members include GNS Science, Mercury NZ, and Top Energy, and the association maintains an international partnership with the International Geothermal Association (IGA).

NZGA's core offerings are built around knowledge sharing and advocacy rather than proprietary technology. Its product surface includes a membership network, three flagship events (NZ Geothermal Week held in the Taupo region, the Winter Seminar, and the NZ Geothermal Workshop), curated publications and newsletters, the Geoheat Resources information base, and formal government submissions that contribute to national energy policy. It distributes these resources through its website, social media channels, and email newsletters. The association plays a central convening role in the sector, exemplified by its alignment with the March 2026 government strategy 'From the Ground Up: A strategy to unlock New Zealand's geothermal potential'.

The business model is a multi-stream non-profit revenue structure: membership subscription fees across tiered levels (including Gold Level), event registration and sponsorship fees across its three annual events, and occasional grants. NZGA operates with a lean team of approximately five employees and a governance-focused Board, with Katie McLean serving as President since late 2022 following predecessors Stephen Daysh and Paul Siratovich. Recent strategic positioning has emphasized positioning New Zealand geothermal expertise as a global opportunity, signaling incremental internationalization ambitions.

Name

New Zealand Geothermal Association

Legal name

New Zealand Geothermal Association

Website

https://nzgeothermal.org.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The New Zealand Geothermal Association (NZGA), founded in 1992, is a non-profit industry body that represents geothermal operators, researchers, and government stakeholders in Aotearoa New Zealand through memberships, events, publications, and policy advocacy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Geothermal Industry Association

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (54162)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Climate Policy, Governance & NDC Support (BPADALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Permitting, Siting & Environmental Impact (EIA/NEPA) Advisory (EUAMANAB), Geothermal Environmental & Regulatory Services (Permitting, Monitoring, Induced Seismicity, Water Management) (EUAMAEAL)

Keywords

• Geothermal industry association
• Renewable energy advocacy
• Geothermal power generation
• Industry membership services
• Geothermal knowledge sharing

Headquarters

HQ city

New Zealand

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: NZGA generates revenue through membership fees from companies and organizations in the geothermal industry, including Gold Level membership tiers with premium sponsors.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

NZGA is a non-profit industry association that provides leadership, connection, and facilitation to support and grow sustainable geothermal opportunities in New Zealand. Its core offerings are a membership network, annual events (NZ Geothermal Week, Winter Seminar, NZ Geothermal Workshop), monthly newsletters and annual power review publications, policy submissions to government on energy and environmental matters, and educational resources on geothermal direct heat use. The association does not sell technology products; it represents and convenes the geothermal industry.

Product overview

The New Zealand Geothermal Association (NZGA) is a non-political, non-governmental, not-for-profit industry association. Rather than a software product company, NZGA offers a membership network service, organizes annual events (NZ Geothermal Week, Winter Seminar, NZ Geothermal Workshop), publishes newsletters and industry reports, and advocates for the geothermal industry through government submissions. Their core offering is community building, knowledge sharing, and industry advocacy rather than technology products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• NZGA Membership Network

Quantifiable outcome

• New Zealand's electricity is over 80% renewable, with geothermal contributing approximately 17% of total generation.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• International Geothermal Association (IGA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2019NZGA works closely with the International Geothermal Association. In November 2019, NZGA supported hosting the IGA Board meeting in Auckland following the NZ Geothermal Workshop. NZGA President participates in IGA activities and the association coordinates New Zealand's presence at international events like the World Geothermal Congress.
• GNS SciencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGNS Science is a Gold Level Member Company of NZGA. As a Crown Research Institute, GNS Science provides geological expertise and research capabilities relevant to geothermal resource assessment and development. The partnership supports technical collaboration and knowledge sharing within the geothermal industry.
• Mercury NZcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMercury NZ is a Gold Level Member Company and one of New Zealand's major geothermal power generators. The partnership provides industry leadership and supports NZGA activities and events.
• Top EnergycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTop Energy is a Gold Level Member Company operating the Ngawha geothermal power station in Northland. The partnership supports industry representation and collaboration on geothermal development in the Northland region.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• International Geothermal Association (IGA): Global umbrella organization for the geothermal sector headquartered in The Netherlands. NZGA has a direct strategic alliance with IGA (co-hosted IGA Board meeting in Auckland 2019) and coordinates NZ participation in IGA events like the World Geothermal Congress. Both serve the same member-facing mission at different geographic scopes.
• Renewable Energy New Zealand (RENEW): NZ trade association for wind, solar, and broader renewable energy sectors. Closest domestic peer for benchmarking advocacy models, events, and member engagement; represents competing renewables whose policy interests occasionally diverge from geothermal.
• Energy Resources Aotearoa: NZ industry body representing oil, gas, and broader energy sectors. Comparable membership model and advocacy function in the same domestic policy environment, providing direct peer reference for governance, funding, and government submission practices.

Broad incumbents

• European Geothermal Energy Council (EGEC): Brussels-based geothermal industry association representing European developers, utilities, and suppliers. Like NZGA, EGEC focuses on EU/national policy advocacy, direct-use promotion, and member services, but with a broader geographic remit and deeper EU policy integration.
• Geothermal Resources Council (GRC): US-based educational association for geothermal professionals running the annual GRC meeting, technical short courses, and the Geothermal Resources Journal. Comparable to NZGA's NZ Geothermal Workshop offering for technical community building and knowledge dissemination.
• Geothermal Rising (formerly Geothermal Energy Association): US-based trade association representing the geothermal industry in North America. Comparable as a national/regional geothermal advocacy body that convenes members, runs technical conferences, and lobbies government, though it operates at much larger scale in the world's largest geothermal market.

Regional players

• Australian Geothermal Energy Association (AGEA): Australia's defunct successor geothermal association was a comparable national body in a neighboring market with similar geological resources and policy frameworks. Included for completeness as a regional peer mirroring NZGA's role.
• Geothermal Institute / University of Auckland: New Zealand-based academic body providing postgraduate geothermal training. While not an industry association, it is the primary training pipeline feeding NZGA members and is closely engaged through technical workshops, alumni networks, and joint events.

Others

• International Energy Agency (IEA) Geothermal Energy Implementing Agreement: Multilateral R&D collaboration framework for geothermal technology and policy research. Complementary rather than competing; NZGA coordinates member engagement with IEA-GIA work programs and joint workshops.
• Think GeoEnergy: Specialist geothermal news and analysis platform. Not a peer association but an adjacent ecosystem participant that amplifies NZGA member activity through editorial coverage and event media partnerships.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NZGeothermal
• Facebookfacebook.com/NZGeothermal
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nzga
• Instagraminstagram.com/newzealandgeothermal

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about New Zealand Geothermal Association