By Curtis Galbraith

Energy Business

County of Grande Prairie Council to discuss geothermal energy pilot project

Aug 5, 2021 | 5:30 AM

A recommendation to go ahead with a geothermal energy project will be going before County of Grande Prairie Council

The Committee of the Whole made the recommendation at its July 29 meeting after hearing a report from Stantec.

The company’s report to the county says there is “considerable opportunity” for various potential projects.

Reeve Leanne Beaupre says there are active geothermal spots out to the Beaverlodge-Hythe area, but this report concentrated more on the Clairmont Heights area.

“Specifically, around development of that whole downtown and residential and commercial area. It’s a green field now that will have an opportunity to build out and recognizing that there may be an opportunity to have an alternative energy source to provide electricity and heating to residential areas.”

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She adds councillors were asking about things like cost and return on investment.

“A lot of the discussion was around carbon credits and carbon taxes and federal programs and provincial programs. This project is really situated ideally to be able to take advantage of some of those opportunities.”

Beaupre says council will make sure it has all the information so it can make an informed decision.

“But, in the same breath, it’s really exciting to be able to have the option to even consider it. There are certain areas of the province or certain areas of the world that geothermal activity is just certainly not an option, right?”

The next step, if council approves going ahead, would be applying for federal and provincial grants.