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The government of Alberta has released their 2023-26 budget. The government has declared a focus to encourage and capitalize on emerging opportunities including the development of geothermal energy. We applaud the Government of Alberta’s strong efforts and climate forward thinking.
The Western Governors' Association (WGA) is an American Association that consists of the state governors of the 22 states in the Western United States. In a recent workshop, some governors expressed explicit interest in considering the expansion of geothermal energy in their states.
Colorado Governor Jared Polis says: "Anything we can do to reduce time and cost associated with being able to drill for the purposes of geothermal energy is something that we're very excited about. There's been great interest from other governors in the West." Will Toor, executive director of the Colorado Energy Office, says: "To go all the way to 100% clean at the same time that we're electrifying transportation, buildings and industry... You need something to complement that, to close that last gap, and geothermal is one of the very promising technologies there." CanGEA would like to express our support for our Southwestern neighbours and hopes that other political figures can follow their lead and come forward with their support for geothermal energy. Click here to read more about the WGA's comments on geothermal energy. (SOURCE: Stateline, an initiative of The Pew Charitable Trusts.) The British Columbia Energy Regulator, previously the BC Oil and Gas Commission, will now reflect the needs of emerging energy sectors, such as geothermal energy, in its newly expanded board. This expansion will significantly aid the development of geothermal resources in the province.
You can read the statement from the British Columbia government here. CanGEA Member Novus Earth Energy will work on the drilling, installing and maintaining of the geothermal wells for a new geothermal greenhouse project by US company Freshbay. The project will take place in CanGEA Hot Spring Member, Hinton, Alberta.
Read more about the project on "Vertical Farm Daily." In "Dirty old mines could be a source of clean new energy," CBC's Bob McDonald writes about using abandoned coal mines for geothermal energy. "In a strange twist of irony, abandoned coal mines that once produced among the dirtiest fossil fuels are starting to be exploited for clean energy.
Water that has seeped into the mines, and has been naturally warmed by heat from the Earth's core, can be used to provide low carbon heat and clean energy storage. This isn't exactly a new idea, but in our continued search for clean energy, engineers in Canada, the U.K. and several European countries are taking another look at mine water as an underutilized resource. This is a version of geothermal energy, which has been seen as having significant potential as an alternative energy source. The way geothermal energy typically works is by exploiting the fact that the earth gets warmer the deeper you go. Energy is harnessed by drilling into the earth, where water is circulated deep underground through a bore hole and heated. The heated water is then pumped back up, and used for warmth or for generating electricity. Using old mines allows you to skip a step or two. The large, deep holes in the ground are already there. After mines are abandoned, water tends to naturally fill in the chambers and tunnels, and it's heated by the Earth." The Government of Nova Scotia is investing $80,000 in a study of geothermal potential in Cumberland County, home of CanGEA member Cumberland Energy Authority. We want to congratulate our member company on this advancement in their county.
You can read more about it in the industry news source, ThinkGeoEnergy, or the Nova Scotia government site. Click here to listen to CanGEA Chair Alison Thompson's interview about Alberta's new geothermal legislature and regulations by Markham Hislop for Energi Media. Hats off to the regulators; more work needed for policy support. You can visit Energi Media's website or download their app for Apple or Android devices to learn more about Energi Media.
To stay up to date with CanGEA, sign up for our newsletter. Greenhouse Canada Releases Article about the Potential of Geothermal Energy for Food Production8/26/2022
In the article, "Untapped potential: A solution for remote food production," Greenhouse Canada writes about the advantages and disadvantages of using geothermal energy for growing food in greenhouses. You can read the article, which cites the CanGEA website as a source, at the Greenhouse Canada website.
On July 29, 2022, CanGEA members Shell Canada and Kitselas Geothermal entered a Joint Development Agreement (JDA) to develop the M'deek geothermal reservoir found near Terrace, BC.
Shell and Kitselas Geothermal, a majority-owned Indigenous company between Kitselas Development and CanGEA member Borealis Geothermal, "hope to build greater understanding of the potential for geothermal energy and support development of renewable green energy in Northwest BC, including 'direct-use' of the heat." Read more on the Kitselas Geothermal website. Source: Alberta Energy Regulators. "On December 7, 2021, the Government of Alberta proclaimed the Geothermal Resource Development Act. Under the act, the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) has the authority to regulate the safe, efficient, and responsible development of Alberta's geothermal resources. The Geothermal Resource Development Rules and Directive 089: Geothermal Resource Development have been issued to complete the regulatory framework for geothermal resource development. The rules and Directive 089 are effective August 15, 2022, and set out the requirements that industry must follow throughout the entire life cycle of a geothermal development (from initiation through to closure) when developing geothermal resources below the base of groundwater protection. The rules and Directive 089 introduce requirements and processes unique to geothermal energy and include reference to applicable oil and gas regulatory instruments. A draft directive was released on August 4, 2021, for public review, and we accepted feedback until September 2, 2021 (see Bulletin-2021-31). We considered feedback from various stakeholders and rights holders, including Indigenous communities, industry, and environmental groups. A summary of the feedback, including our responses, is available on the directive's webpage. We have also updated Manual 012: Energy Development Applications Procedures and Schedules with guidance for geothermal applications (wells, facilities, pipelines), including how liability management will be applied to geothermal resource developments. In addition, the Oil and Gas Conservation Rules (OGCR) have been updated to align with the geothermal regulatory framework. The definition of oilfield waste in the OGCR has been updated to include waste from geothermal resource development. A new provision has been added to the OGCR that requires an application for amendment where a licensee intends to change a well licensed under the Oil and Gas Conservation Act to a geothermal well. We will make consequential amendments throughout the year to other AER directives and manuals to address geothermal development where necessary." Directive 089 is available below and on the Alberta Energy Regulators website. 
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