Canada: Hundreds of MW of Geothermal Energy Could be Developed in Alberta

Geothermal energy research in Alberta making strides with new technology (CBC News)

Research maps reservoirs of hot water kilometers beneath the earth that could be converted into electricity

Geothermal-generated electricity could be a piece of the answer to how Alberta can move away from coal-fired electric power in time for the NDP's 2030 deadline.

Jonathan Banks, a research scientist in the department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Alberta, is mapping the potential for geothermal power across the western part of the province, in a partnership with Alberta Innovates and Energy and Environment Solutions. That includes mapping reservoirs of water kilometers beneath our feet, that is hot enough to convert into electricity using a turbine mechanism.

The communities of Grande Prairie County, Hinton, Clearwater County, Rocky Mountain House, the Village of Caroline, the City of Grande Prairie, and the Municipal District of Greenview, are all signed on for exploratory research being done by Banks.

As a conservative estimate, Banks said, by 2030 the province could generate a few hundred megawatts of power in a year to help replace the 6.3 gigawatts of power currently being generated by coal.

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