Geology was not kind to P.E.I. from the perspective of utilizing geothermal technology, said MacLeod. “There was a study done in 1983 that a fairly deep hole was drilled in Charlottetown just to try and quantify what geothermal uptake opportunity there was here,” she said.

The report, The Deep Heat Advantage: A techno-economic analysis of Enhanced Geothermal Systems in western and northwestern Canada, models the cost of EGS at four hypothetical test sites in Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and the Northwest Territories. EGS could soon become a low-cost option for meeting Canada’s growing demand for clean, reliable power, with costs as low as 3–6¢/kWh.

Geothermal’s economics are improving rapidly as technological advances in the industry reduce costs. This is raising geothermal's profile as a reliable, round-the-clock power source for use in a range of applications from northern military bases and mines to the hundreds data centres expected in coming decades.

Canada should build on FORGE’s lessons to launch Project AURORA – the Arctic Underground Research Observatory for Resource Advancement. Project AURORA would consist of one or more Northern test sites that design and adapt next-generation geothermal tech for the Arctic’s challenging terrain.

CUPE commends the Manitoba government for their plan to use crown corporations to build geothermal heating networks, which will scale up geothermal heating usage in Manitoba and reduce our reliance on natural gas. This will reduce Manitoba’s carbon footprint, while saving Manitobans money.

Canada’s geothermal resources could meet the nation’s power demand “one million times over”, but not a single commercial well has been drilled. That’s about to change as new technologies bolster the business case for tapping deep underground heat to generate clean electricity and lure investment in pioneering projects.