For the first time in Quebec history, the word deep geothermal appears in an Act, under clause 43 (page 16 of the PDF document describing the Act), which is good and opening the door to pilot projects.
The clause implies that pilot deep geothermal projects should be authorized by the minister, but the clause does not define how to obtain authorization from the minister and who owns the resource. The clause does not define the depth of a deep geothermal resource, to separate shallow from deep geothermal systems. (Shallow systems are regulated under environmental groundwater protection laws.) INRS will write and submit a memorandum to the government, explaining that clause 43 should be improved. Without improvements, it is uncertain whether resource development companies will invest in deep geothermal projects in Quebec. Companies likely will not invest millions in deep drilling, if they don’t know from the beginning, if they can have a right to use the resource. Government employees that wrote the act are aware of this and know the potential of deep geothermal resources. They added that clause trying to maintain minimal activities related to underground reservoirs. This is not the priority of the CAQ Government of François Legault.
Hearings are taking place at the parliament next week.
The Act can be commented on a web page of the Assemblée nationale: https://www.assnat.qc.ca/en/travaux-parlementaires/commentaire.html?type=ProjetLoi&id=21501&url=travaux-parlementaires/projets-loi/projet-loi-21-42-2.