WHEREAS geothermal power has the potential to supply clean and sustainable power and heat, reduce the cost of power transmission for BC Hydro, strengthen the power grid by supplying consistent baseload power without transmission line outages and increase the standard of living in remote communities; AND WHEREAS electricity required for new industries, including proposed pipelines, require firm baseload power resulting in greater loads on the existing transmission system; possibly requiring new diesel generation even as renewable power options are being dismissed; AND WHEREAS BC Hydro has removed geothermal power production from its latest Integrated Resource Plan while every other developed nation on the Pacific Ring of Fire uses geothermal to generate electricity; AND WHEREAS inadequacies in the provinces geothermal permitting and leasing process have failed to produce a single operating geothermal power plant: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the provincial government support development of geothermal power in British Columbia, by addressing deficiencies in the provinces geothermal permitting and leasing process, by encouraging GeoScienceBC to survey provincial heat resources, by including geothermal as a resource option in BC Hydros Integrated Resource Plan, and by working with BC Hydro to facilitate interconnection and a payment structure that promotes geothermal power.
Ministry of Energy Mines The Province of British Columbia has held several geothermal permit dispositions over the past several years resulting in 12 permits being released to developers in various locations across the province. The Ministry of Energy and Mines is working on streamlining the regulatory framework for geothermal exploration through amendments to the Geothermal Resources Act. Geoscience BC has begun work through the TREK Targeting Resources for Exploration and Knowledge Project, initiated in 2013, to evaluate geothermal resources for communities in British Columbias northern interior plateau region. Under BC Hydros Standing Offer Program, geothermal proponents can sell power to BC Hydro. Identification of a geothermal resource requires drilling, without a guarantee of success. There is a high chance of failure as it is very difficult to pinpoint where the resource is. For example, from 2004-2008, Western Geopower spent approximately 32 million on exploration at Meagre Creek, without success. Under the current structure of the electricity sector in BC, it is up to the private sector to identify and develop geothermal prospects. Given the risks, we believe the private sector is better positioned to develop geothermal resources and that ratepayers should not take on this risk.