Cheap, renewable geothermal power has the potential to meet the country's energy needs and put thousands of laid-off oil and gas workers back to work
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| Thumbs Up! The Geysers, California, USA. By Robert Hopkins, Mound House, Nevada. GRC Photo Contest 2009. |
Shortly after the downturn in oil and gas began in 2014, PetroLMI commissioned a study of energy sector employee skills that could be redeployed in other industries such as agriculture or renewable power, including geothermal.
The study found that 14 different professions from the oil and gas industry could transfer into the geothermal power business, though some, including geoscientists, would need some specialized training to do so.
However, given that only a few geothermal power companies are developing or moving toward developing plants in Canada, Howes said “the number of actual jobs is quite small” at the moment.
The Canadian geothermal industry would need to scale up almost exponentially to get to the point where it could hire laid-off oil and gas professionals.
