Orange is the new Blue

What does this mean for geothermal energy in Alberta? According to Think GeoEnergy's recent interview with our chair, Alison Thompson, the newly elected NDP government in Alberta could provide a more favourable environment for geothermal energy development. 

Under the previous Progressive Conservative government, the primary focus was on the oil & gas industry and little support was provided to renewables. The NDP, however, claim that they would like to speed up the phaseout of coal power plants in the province, which have been blamed for burdening the Alberta health care system. This earlier phaseout would create a demand for a new base-load power source - may we suggest geothermal? 

Some may question geothermal potential in Alberta, but it is in fact home to one of the world's largest Hot Sedimentary Aquifers (HSA): The Western Canada Sedimentary Basin. HSAs have been used as a resource in both Germany and France for a variety of geothermal applications, most notably greenhouses and district heating systems. To learn more about geothermal energy potential in Alberta, you can view CanGEA's resource estimate maps.

Click here to read the full article written by Think GeoEnergy's Alexander Richter.