Swiss politicians push for geothermal legislation in Canton Zurich
Parliamentarians of the Canton Zurich in Switzerland are pushing for a new piece of legislation for geothermal energy development and utilization, to create legal certainty and investment security.
The majority of Parliamentarians in Canton Zurich in Switzerland consider geothermal a potentially important energy source despite the problems that ocurred with projects as the one in Basel and St. Gallen.
Therefore various parties have now started a campaign for a geothermal piece of legislation for the Canton of Zurich.
The approach by this group was approved by 117 votes to 48 votes. In Switzerland, geothermal energy utilization is regulated at the cantonal level. Switzerland is a federal state with 26 cantons, with their own constitution, legislature, government and court system.
The legislation now being proposed is highlighting the role geothermal could play for the future energy demand of the country.
The legislation is to “govern the use of the deep subsurface (geothermal energy) and thus produces legal certainty and investment security.” The following points are expected to be clarified by the geothermal law being proposed:
- Conditions for the granting of licenses,
- Expiration of licenses and concessions,
- Regulation of the procedures for drilling and utilization,
- Use of public distribution infrastructure such as for water, electricity and gas,
- Financial guarantees, taxes and their tax bases,
- Risk analysis and risk assumption (liability),
- Terms of exploration drilling results,
- Documentation and testing of the drilled wells,
- Extraction of mineral resources.
Source: Kantonsrat Zurich via Tiefegeothermie.de
