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On April 7, 2022, the Federal Government released their 2022 Budget. Within the Budget, there was no direct mention of support for Canada’s geothermal industry. However, many programs used by the geothermal industry have been recapitalized, which is welcome news! CanGEA will continue to advocate for geothermal-specific funding opportunities and greater recognition at the Federal level for the industry.
The 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan details the actions that are already driving significant climate reductions. The new measures will ensure that Canada reduces emissions across the entire economy to reach its emissions reduction target of 40 to 45 percent below 2005 levels by 2030 and put us on a path to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. This Plan is designed to be a comprehensive roadmap that reflects levels of ambition to guide emissions reduction efforts in each sector.
This Plan has recapitalized two key programs that the geothermal industry uses:
The 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan supports fuel switching and retrofits for building heating and cooling. CanGEA supports this Plan an its efforts in playing an instrumental role in the continuation to diversify Canada’s energy mix. Click here to learn more. The Government of Alberta has issued a Bulletin discussing its Geothermal Resource Tenure Regulation, which complements the recently proclaimed Geothermal Resources Development Act (GRDA). Alberta Energy is also now accepting applications from companies interested in exploring and developing geothermal resources. The Electronic Transfer System (ETS) for submitting applications for geothermal leases is still under development. CanGEA was a stakeholder throughout the development of GRDA and its regulations for the Alberta Government and Alberta Energy Regulator (AER). More information on our policy comments provided to the Alberta Government and AER, along with other policy submissions, can be accessed by CanGEA’s corporate members. Click here to become a member. 
CanGEA Member, Kitselas Geothermal Inc, will be one of five Indigenous projects to receive funding from the Government of British Columbia through the First Nations Clean Energy Business Fund (FNCEBF).
The official BC press release utilizes the following quotes from Kitselas Geothermal Chair, David Try: “Kitselas First Nation is grateful to be supported by the B.C. Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation’s First Nations Clean Energy Business Fund for our renewable geothermal energy project Fuel for Reconciliation. Kitselas Geothermal Inc. has been developing this project since 2014 and has injected millions of dollars into the economy in and around our traditional territory near Terrace. The funding will be a tremendous help in progressing the project’s 2022 field season. “Decentralized energy projects have the potential to create local jobs, advance technology, develop skills and decrease the environmental impact of our energy choices. Fuel for Reconciliation is poised to deliver both geothermal energy and greenhouse gas reductions on the north coast, benefiting many stakeholders.” Read the entire press release here. The Government of Alberta has officially proclaimed Bill 36 Geothermal Resource Development Act. CanGEA believes that this geothermal-specific legislation and regulatory framework in Alberta are a positive step for the industry. We look forward to watching the Alberta geothermal industry grow. CanGEA will continue to strongly advocate for the geothermal energy industry within Alberta and the rest of Canada.
This November, the Energy Future Lab convened their Fellows in person for the first time in two years. At this meeting, industry thought leaders met to discuss energy transitions and the future of Alberta energy. Representing CanGEA and the Canadian geothermal industry was CanGEA chair Alison Thompson. Learn more about Energy Future Labs here.  On October 27th, 2021, the World Geothermal Congress (WGC) issued the Reykjavik Declaration that outlines a set of three principles and three recommendations for the global geothermal sector to step up its role in the energy transition. The aim of the three principles is to provide a guide for the geothermal industry, while working to achieve wider geothermal adoption throughout the world’s economy.
Moreover, the Reykjavik Declaration established key recommendations to the world’s decision and policy makers. These recommendations focus on coalition building between nations engaged in geothermal energy, incentivizing geothermal development, and communicating more broadly the benefits of geothermal energy development. CanGEA supports the publishing of the WGC’s Reykjavik Declaration and believes that its creation is key to help further engrain geothermal energy within the transition to a greener world economy. CanGEA feels that these principles and recommendations are vital to limiting the global temperature rise to 1.5°C and aiding in international climate goals. On November 18th, 2021, CanGEA gave an introductory presentation on geothermal energy at the Energy Express Conference 2021. Energy Express 2021 was hosted by three association, the Canadian Association of Petroleum Landmen, the Canadian Association of Petroleum Land Administration and the Petroleum Joint Venture and was attended by many industry professionals in North America. It exposed the benefits and potential applications of geothermal energy in the “New Developments and Opportunities” part of the program. The presentation was given by CanGEA Chair Alison Thompson and was dedicated to the late Dee Swafford, a landman Thompson worked with in the early part of her career in the US. Contact CanGEA for additional information on hosting a Geothermal 101 presentation.   Hello,
My name is Evan Lintick. I have recently assumed the role of Director of Policy at the Canadian Geothermal Energy Association. Before CanGEA, I have worked several years within policy and governance, most recently as a Policy and Markets Analyst for the Alberta Wheat Commission and Alberta Barley. During that role, I was heavily engaged in advocacy for the organizations as well as policy development and analysis. In the short few weeks that I have been with CanGEA have been exciting and productive. I have assisted with the submission of several essential funding grants through the Federal Government and have helped to develop a comprehensive government relations strategy that will aid CanGEA in engaging further with all Federal, Provincial and Territorial governments. In the next couple weeks, we will be analyzing the upcoming Throne Speech closely and begin creating our budget 2022/2023 discussion paper immediately thereafter. I am elated to be joining the CanGEA team to help further establish CanGEA as an advocacy force at all levels of government and within the geothermal industry. Thank you very much, Evan Lintick Director of Policy On November 5th, 2021, at the COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland, Canada joined the United States, United Kingdom and 21 other countries in an historic deal to stop new direct public finance for coal, oil and gas development by the end of 2022 and shift investment to renewable energy. Canadian Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault said in a news release: “Canada can lead in the low-carbon world if we keep putting our investments, innovations and brain power behind ambitious climate action,” Read more on EnergyNow.ca.  |
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