Geothermal Energy Use in Alberta

Alberta currently utilizes geothermal energy primarily for electricity generation (e.g., the Swan Hills project). Direct use of hot springs (like those near Banff) for heating, tourism, or aquaculture is limited. Factors include:

• High upfront drilling costs in sedimentary basins.
• Regulatory framework still evolving for non-hydrocarbon geothermal.
• Abundant cheap natural gas reduces economic incentive for geothermal heat.
• Banff hot springs are in a national park, restricting development.

Interest is growing as Alberta diversifies its energy portfolio, but large-scale hot-spring utilization remains minimal.