Queensland community looking at geothermal option for power
Double Island Point, Queensland, Australia (source: flickr/ Michael Dawes, creative commons)
Francisco Rojas
4 Mar 2015
The Winton Shire community in Queensland, Australia wants to develop a geothermal energy project firstly for council buildings but potentially for the entire town.
Australia has been hit severely by cuts and reforms, making geothermal and other renewables see a dramatic fall in recent times, however, local news from Queesland state that the Winton Shire Council admits it is ambitious but it wants to develop a geothermal energy project firstly for council buildings but potentially for the entire town.
The scheme could save the local community up to $15 million in energy consumption.
It follows the announcement of plans to develop solar energy farms in Barcaldine and Millmerran.
Winton mayor “Butch’’ Lenton said the technology had been around for a century but Winton would mark the first time in Australia that it had been put to this purpose.
“Like a lot of western Queensland our community has been hurting. With a massive drought, economic hardship, and a significant reduction in state and federal government funding for community services and assets,’’ Mr Lenton said.
“So when a project comes along that can save our community millions we want to explore it thoroughly.’’
It has appointed a company owned by the Local Government Association to explore the plan.
The council’s chief executive Tom Upton said western Queensland’s ground water was one of the best sources of hot water in the world and was not being utilised to its potential.
The technology is different to “hot rock’’ geothermal and would not impact opn the geology or composition of water supplies in the region.
Instead it will use existing bores to convert heat into a useable energy source
Source: The Courier Mail
