As the global energy transition gathers speed, Canada has the time-bound opportunity to become a global leader in clean geothermal power, if provinces act quickly to harmonize and extend geothermal regulations across the country.
Groundwork: Regulatory guidelines for making Canada a geothermal powerhouse supports this opportunity by identifying international best practices from the 10 largest geothermal power producers globally to provide provinces and territories with essential insights and guidelines they can use to establish effective regulations.
By harmonizing and extending effective regulations across the country, Canada can leverage its substantial drilling expertise and capacity to develop its geothermal resources efficiently.
Emily Smejkal
Ready to dig deep into Canada's geothermal energy potential? Emily Smejkal, Policy Lead for the Cascade Institute's Geothermal Energy Office (CI-GEO), is pioneering the regulatory solutions needed to transform Canada into a geothermal powerhouse. Emily holds a BSc in Geology and Earth Science from the University of Calgary. She is the Vice President of Geothermal Canada. Learn more
A blueprint for accelerating geothermal power in Canada
This comprehensive analysis provides policymakers with the regulatory roadmap needed to unlock Canada's vast geothermal potential. The report identifies international best practices and applies them to Canada's unique situation, pointing the way to harmonized, effective regulations for clean, baseload geothermal power development from coast to coast.
Key report components:
- We analyze regulatory frameworks from top 10 global geothermal producers to identify key insights for Canada.
- We compile six overarching recommendations for effective geothermal regulation.
- We present model language for geothermal resource definition, ownership, and tenure.
- We present implementation guidelines for Canadian jurisdictions.
- Finally, we set the table for Phase 2 of this project: the development of detailed, "plug and play" model regulations (coming soon!).
This research is supported by the Accelerating Community Energy Transformation initiative, to which the Cascade Institute brings system theory analysis and complex problem-solving experience, unlocking high-leverage interventions including ultradeep geothermal to accelerate community energy transformation.
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