MP Battiste Announces Over $1.3 million to Unlock Clean Geothermal Energy in Nova Scotia, Highlights Clean Investments in Fall Economic Statement

Source: | · NET ZERO ATLANTIC · | November 9, 2022

Source: Net Zero Atlantic

November 9th, 2022 | Membertou, Nova Scotia

The Government of Canada is advancing our transition to a low-carbon economy in Canada through strategic investments and innovative partnerships. As part of this commitment, Canada is moving forward on the deployment of smart renewable energy and enabling grid modernization technologies in various communities across the country to support the clean energy transition and the fight against climate change. Geothermal energy is one such type of clean, renewable energy that will help Canada achieve our ambitious climate targets.

Today, Jaime Battiste, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Member of Parliament for Sydney–Victoria, on behalf of the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources, announced an investment of over $1.3 million in Net Zero Atlantic for the Community Geothermal Resource Capacity Assessment and Training Program (GeoCAT).

The project will build development capacity for mid-depth geothermal energy–based projects in five Mi’kmaw and twelve rural communities in Nova Scotia.

Working with Mi’kmaw groups, the Unama’ki Institute of Natural Resources and the Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq, as well as local communities, the GeoCAT program will transfer geothermal resource and project development knowledge to local community representatives, who will assess community-specific infrastructure and interest in geothermal project development. The community representatives, with supporting project development expertise, will then teach interested residents how such projects can be achieved in their communities.

Net Zero Atlantic, the Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq and the Government of Nova Scotia’s Department of Natural Resources and Renewables are also contributing to the project, bringing the total investment to over $1.4 million.