Six-Month Study to Outline Geothermal Opportunities for 10 BC Communities

Geoscience BC is launching a six-month study that will provide 10 communities in British Columbia with detailed information about direct-use geothermal energy opportunities, a spokesperson for the nonprofit said.

The project, which will be led by Catherine Hickson, principal of Tuya Terra Geo Corporation, will deliver a geothermal direct-use road map based on the compilation of public geoscience data and a survey of communities that identifies their needs, development choices and economic development goals.

“This project is the first step toward giving [British Columbia] communities and businesses an understanding of what geothermal resources are available and how they may use them,” Hickson said in a statement.

Geoscience BC plans to review the community and technical information gathered for about 25 sites and create a priority list of the top 10 sites based on a combination of community desire, geothermal potential and economic opportunities, the spokesperson said. The final direct-use road map will be created using the information collected from the top-10 communities, she added.

Gerald Huttrer, president of Geothermal Management Company, will be the science co-leader for the project.

The spokesperson said that the road map will provide general guidelines for what kinds of financial commitments different proponents would need to make for a potential project, including, for example, what an exploration company and the community would need to commit.

“There would be ideas for those commitments, but not actual numbers,” she said.

Geoscience BC is funded by the Province of British Columbia.

Lead image: Natural hot pools in Banff Canada park. Credit. Shutterstock.

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