With so much talk about offshore wind and utility-scale solar, it is easy to forget about one other abundant, emission-free energy source. Geothermal has garnered a lot less attention than the more established forms of renewable energy generation, but this is slowly changing as parts of the world increasingly focus on replacing fossil fuels with cleaner alternatives. Alberta, for example, will be promoting the development of geothermal energy as a means of diversifying its heavily oil-dependent economy. This week the province’s legislators introduced a bill seeking to promote the nascent industry by setting rules and guidelines and establishing the authority that will control land use for geothermal. “Alberta is uniquely positioned to attract investment in this emerging industry because of its geothermal resources, leadership in drilling technology, and extensive oil and gas expertise.” Geothermal resources are in fact abundant everywhere: the Earth’s core radiates heat outwards into the mantle […]