Due to their geological setting, the more than 5000 m deep Alpine Foreland Basins – the northern Molasse Basin and the southern Po Basin – feature a multitude of natural resources and the capability for underground storage, so-called geo-potentials or subsurface potentials. In the wake of recent developments aimed at the reduction of greenhouse gases, particularly by the rising share of renewable energies, these geo-potentials increasingly have become the focus of attention. Enhanced geothermal energy production, minimizing problems of wind and solar intermittency by storing solar and wind fuels underground, and, where lawful, the storage of sequestered CO₂ will put further pressure on the subsurface and may constrain the utilisation of ‘classical’ subsurface resources such as groundwater and oil or gas deposits.

The boost of homemade green energy by enhancing the utilization and sustainably managing these geo-potentials will considerably add value to the regional economy.  Providing large-scale trans-national structural information will allow to optimize the exploitation and to mitigate the risk of failure of the development of resources.

The economic and sustainable utilisation of the subsurface requires a prioritisation of the geo-potentials available and the assessment of possible hazards and risks such as mutual interference or induced seismicity. The acquisition of detailed knowledge regarding the geology therefore serves as an important basis.