Emissions from heating are the largest source of emissions in the UK and geothermal energy has the potential to make a significant contribution to decarbonising heating, while providing new economic opportunities, across the North East. Newcastle University have worked with the North East Local Enterprise Partnership and other regional stakeholders to use existing geological data, including heritage data from coal exploration and oil and gas exploration, together with numerical modelling, to identify opportunities to explore and exploit geothermal energy for direct use. Funding: This works has received funding by the North East Local Enterprise Partnership’s Energy for Growth Fund.