Monday, August 10, 2015

Canada:

Environmentalists Need To Compromise To Make B.C. A Geothermal Energy Powerhouse (Huffington Post Canada)

The Green Party of B.C. calls British Columbia a potential "green tech powerhouse." We all know about hydro energy, but few know about a much-neglected potential source of energy: geothermal energy.

As presented in this map, the province has a tremendous potential for geothermal energy. It isn't a fancy new technology either; rather, it is a mature technology that's used worldwide. Once constructed, a geothermal power plant is pretty close to carbon neutral and for an energy technology, it is remarkably clean.

So why aren't we a geothermal energy powerhouse? Well consider this picture of B.C. protected areas. Our most bountiful geothermal resources are situated right smack in the middle of some of our biggest and most beautiful parks. Moreover, all that potential is located deep underground and we don't have a secret map with an X marked "geothermal energy here." The only way to find this energy is to drill.