The use of geothermal energy is to be facilitated and procedures shortened. To this end, the German Federal Cabinet passed a bill on Wednesday to speed up the approval process for geothermal plants, heat pumps and heat storage facilities. According to the Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, it stipulates that approvals under mining law, which are required for many geothermal projects, must be processed within one year. For example, private individuals who operate a heat pump that uses a nearby body of water as a heat source will no longer need a permit required under water law. However, it will still be required for drilling into the ground. In addition, geothermal energy will be given more weight in the authorities’ decisions, as it will be in the overriding public interest.