Environmental Mitigation Aspects of Water Resources in Geothermal Development: Using a Comparative Approach in Building a Law and Policy Framework for More Sustainable Water Management Practices in Canada

Kamaal Zaidi

Abstract

This paper examines environmental mitigation measures for water resources in the context of geothermal energy development among selected jurisdictions of the United States and New Zealand in the hopes of recommending a law and policy framework in Canada. These common law jurisdictions are chosen to reveal advances in the emerging area of geothermal law and policy. First, the geothermal energy process is explained, followed by a discussion of the legal aspects of geothermal energy development. Second, the benefits of geothermal law and policy are assessed from the experiences of the U.S. and New Zealand in terms of environmental mitigation measures used to deal with water quality and water allocation. Eventually, the analysis will involve tracking geothermal-related legislation, regulatory frameworks, and emerging laws and policies to determine whether water quality and allocation may be adequately dealt with in Canada.