By: Jonah Lazar, Staff Writer
Canada’s attempts to balance economic growth in the oil sector while limiting the ecological damage seem to be failing.
With the new emissions and pipeline deal with Alberta, and natural gas pipeline approved for northern BC, Canada is expanding its fossil fuel infrastructure. The recent spike in the price of oil due to the war on Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz increased revenue for the government and fossil fuel companies, at the continued expense of the environment. But fossil fuels shouldn’t be the way forward for Canada’s energy industries.
Geothermal power is a renewable energy source that stems from volcanic activity and subterranean heat stemming from the earth’s mantle. Pipes circulating water are sent deep below the surface, which is then boiled by the warmth trapped underground before returning to the surface to power a turbine to produce electricity. Canada holds vast amounts of renewable geothermal energy, particularly in the western territories and provinces, with BC considered one of the most promising areas for development.
Many sites in Western Canada, such as Mount Meager near Pemberton, BC, boast enough geothermic activity for electricity to be produced. Others, such as the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin, which ranges from parts of BC to Manitoba, have enough potential to heat homes. According to Statistics Canada, 51.5% of all energy consumption in Canadian homes is natural gas and it is the most common energy source for heating. Natural gas is not renewable, is extracted similarly to oil, and is also dependent on pipelines for transportation. A pivot towards heating our homes with geothermal energy would greatly reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, and would be accessible for much of the west of Canada.
Geothermal energy could produce 5,000 megawatts per hour of energy, which translates to roughly 43.8 million megawatts per year. Nationally, fossil fuels were burned to create roughly 224 million megawatts of electricity in 2024, meaning that geothermal energy could replace almost 20% of our electrical grid’s fossil fuel dependence. Yet, we have hardly started to develop this sustainable energy source. Currently, the Swan Hills geothermal plant in Alberta, is the only active plant in Canada. This plant repurposed an existing oil field to co-produce geothermal and natural gas. No new land needed to be developed and much of the existing drilling and extracting infrastructure was repurposed for geothermal activity, greatly cutting down on costs and future emissions.
Long term volatility in the oil market has led to Canadian companies focusing on short-term profits and automation, resulting in a 17% decline in domestic employment from 2012 to 2023. Even the Trans Mountain pipeline, bought and expanded upon by the federal government, will be expected to sell at a deficit potentially in the billions, due to ballooning construction costs, leaving taxpayers to foot a monstrous $34 billion construction bill.
The economic tide is turning against fossil fuel production in Canada — reduced profit margins have created a dependency on increased production and exportation, which has been dependent on costly and unpopular pipeline projects. Geothermal energy could reduce much of our domestic need for fossil fuels like natural gas, and evidence from the Swan Hill plant shows that older plants can be repurposed. Canada needs to invest in stable, long term green power that will diversify our energy industry and geothermal fill that need.
