Today in the Legislature I asked the Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources what her ministry is doing to encourage the use of our outstanding geothermal resources. Readers of this site will know that since as early as 2014, I have been trying to get both the BC Liberal Government and the present BC NDP government to recognize the incredible opportunity that geothermal energy innovation and production offers British Columbia.

Below I reproduce the video and text of our exchange.

Video of Exchange

Question

A. Weaver: Yesterday I asked the Minister of Jobs, Trade and Technology what his ministry was doing to encourage a strategic approach to transitioning away from the reliance on fossil fuels development in northern B.C. He talked about the importance of innovation. I agree. But there are barriers to innovation in B.C., and those barriers lie in B.C. Hydro.

Take the Borealis geothermal project in Valemount, for example. The member for Prince George–Valemount and I have been trying to get government to recognize the enormous potential for this project to showcase innovation in B.C.’s clean energy sector. British Columbia is the only jurisdiction in the Pacific Rim that isn’t using its geothermal resources. It strikes me as a no-brainer. Community support is strong. Valemount is at the end of an existing B.C. Hydro line, and with Glacier Destinations moving forward, enhanced local power production on an already stretched and often intermittent line will be required.

My question is this to the Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources. Could she please explain what her ministry is doing to encourage the use of our outstanding geothermal resources?

Answer

Hon. M. Mungall: The opportunity for geothermal needs to be proven in B.C., and there are some companies that are doing just that. They’re working to prove up the geothermal resources that have been identified. Borealis is one of them. As the member will know — and the member for Prince George–Valemount — they received a permit just over a year ago to start doing that work. They actually have a new permit before the ministry. I look forward to seeing the recommendation from the ministry in terms of how to proceed with that permit so that they can do the work that they’ve been doing to prove up this opportunity with geothermal.

Supplementary Question

A. Weaver: The reality is that on the ground nothing is being done, not because of lack of industry or community support but rather because of cumbersome regulatory barriers and the absence of a champion within this government. Geothermal drilling is being regulated by the Oil and Gas Commission via rules that don’t reflect the practice within the international geothermal sector.

There is no ability for geothermal projects to lever existing federal funds without a strong provincial commitment. Our geothermal resources have the potential to diversify and decarbonize B.C.’s energy systems, provide energy with minimal environmental impact footprint — probably the smallest environmental footprint of any type of resource like that — create jobs and prosperity in northeastern B.C. and provide a showcase for innovation in our clean energy sector.

My question again is to the Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources. When will her ministry start streamlining the regulatory process and start encouraging, as opposed to discouraging, British Columbia’s outstanding geothermal sector?

Answer

Hon. M. Mungall: My ministry has done nothing to discourage the opportunities with geothermal — in fact, quite the opposite.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

Hon. M. Mungall: I’m not too sure why the Liberals are all worked up about this particular issue, hon. Speaker. It’s not like they ever discovered geothermal when they were in office. The reality is that there’s quite a bit of science here that needs to be done, and it’s about a process in terms of actually making sure the resource is sufficient enough, hot enough, to actually generate electricity from it. That needs to be done. And that’s exactly what Borealis and other companies who are interested in doing this work in British Columbia are given the opportunity to do. I’m very glad that they’re here and making those investments, and I look forward to working with them going forward.