We’ve gathered a list of some of the projects we want to fist-bump this year. We’re not suggesting they’re perfect; any large extractive project comes with an environmental cost. But these are projects that rise above the rest in their efforts to minimize that cost.
The Geyser
Valemount, B.C’s Geothermal Project
The town of Valemount, B.C., is sitting on an endless supply of heat and power — and it’s in the final stages of doing something about it. The town has been working on a plan for years that would allow it to first develop a hot spring, then develop a community geothermal plant to meet the town’s existing energy needs and, eventually, use that energy and heat for other uses as well, like heating a greenhouse, brewing beer or melting ice on the streets.
“It has the potential for being a really ticketable showcase to show the world what can be done with geothermal,” owner of the local Three Ranges brewery Michael Lewis told DeSmog Canada in 2016.
So far, the project’s proponent, Borealis Geopower, has secured rights to develop geothermal in Valemount but has yet to receive drilling permits. Exploratory drilling is the next step Borealis will take to identify just how hot the geothermal potential is beneath the town. But if Valemount’s local hot spots are any indication, there’s likely a wealth of clean, sustainable and cheap energy just below the surface.