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Apr 21, 2010CanGEA Comments on BC Hydro Site C Project Developments
CANADIAN GEOTHERMAL ENERGY ASSOCATION (CANGEA) COMMENTS ON B.C. HYDRO SITE C PROJECT DEVELOPMENTS
Calgary, AB – April 20, 2010 – Recently the Government of British Columbia announced its plans to move forward with the 900 megawatt Site C Clean Energy Project on the Peace River; despite concerns from critics regarding the project and its environmental impacts. CanGEA is pleased to see the province expand its base-load power generation capacity but stresses that geothermal power should be considered as it is an attractive alternative to hydro, both in the short and long term. As BC Hydro forecasts that B.C.’s electricity needs will grow by 20 to 40 per cent over the next 20 years, geothermal energy can help address those needs.
“The province has a real need for new base-load power sources, especially as intermittent renewable energy sources make up a larger percentage of the generation capacity” said David Gowland, Policy Director at CanGEA. Traditionally base-load power has been supplied by large scale hydro facilities, but geothermal power is better suited to fill this role as it operates at capacities equal to or higher than hydro with very little surface disturbance. “Where large scale hydro plants have long lead times and the potential for negative environmental impacts, geothermal power can be developed relatively quickly to generate renewable base-load power as well as provide residential and commercial heating” said Gowland.
While there is currently no geothermal electricity generation in the province, there is optimism that the recent geothermal permit auction has sparked the industry and reignited the push to embrace new sources of base-load power. In fact, the Canadian geothermal industry has seen strong interest from developers and also investors. This year alone CanGEA has welcomed 15 new members so far including geothermal developers and service companies both nationally and internationally. Unlike other nations whose governments have provided large incentives for geothermal resource development, the Canadian market place has not seen strong financial support from the government resulting in the Canadian industry lagging behind that of the US and Mexico with very similar geology
All politics aside, one thing is certain; the demand for clean, renewable power is sure to increase, whether it is consumed within the province or exported to our neighbours to the south. And while no single energy source can meet this demand, it is clear that a diversified energy portfolio with complementary generation from renewable sources like hydro, geothermal, wind, solar, and tidal power will be best suited to effectively balance environmental concerns and satisfy the power demands of the future.
About CanGEA: CanGEA is a national industry association that believes we can provide competitively priced, emissions free, renewable, base-load energy to Canadians and to U.S. export markets. CanGEA works on behalf of our members to facilitate the growth of geothermal power projects and promote publicly listed companies on the Canadian Exchanges.
Visit us at http://www.cangea.ca.
Contact: David Gowland
Policy Director, Canadian Geothermal Energy Association
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Comments
Thank you for your insights on Site C. There’s certainly a lot of talk about it in BC. The CBC morning show played listeners views today and many echo your sentiments.
