Introduction

The World Geothermal & Water Energy Policy Council (WGEOPC) is a world-wide non-profit organization that was established in 2008 as the result of intensive communication between internationally renowned experts. It was realized that no global organization existed which was exclusively devoted to and concerned with the promotion of the inclusion of geothermal and water energy in national energy policies of the world. In addition, the Council was established in response to the problem of impending climate change and significant air pollution throughout the world. These issues are causing serious health and economic conditions and are produced by fossil fuels used to generate energy. To gradually eliminate the problems caused by ever increasing dependence on fossil fuels is to urgently replace them with alternative renewable energy sources such as shallow ground source and/or deep ground source geothermal power, which is considered to be the most economical, sustainable, reliable, environment friendly, and most readily available.