Northern Territory News
Wednesday 26/11/2008 Page: 19
Geothermal energy will be encouraged to set up in the Territory with a new law introduced to Parliament tomorrow. The Territory Government has announced its "hot rocks" policy five times in two years - but was never introduced as a law. Resources Minister Kon Vatskalis is expected to introduce the Bill on Thursday. "geothermal energy resources have the potential to provide clean, reliable and renewable energy, capable of a wide range of uses," he said.
It has the potential to deliver energy with very low or no greenhouse emissions." The Bill will create a framework to facilitate and regulate the exploration and extraction of geothermal energy. The regulations will be modelled on the rules for the petroleum and mining industries. Mr Vatskalis said natural heat energy had the capacity to provide base load power, equivalent to gas a coal fire power stations. Mr Vatskal is told Parliament in February 2006 that the geothermal BilI would be ready by the end of the year.
The Bill was then re announced in October 2006 by his successor Chris Natt. In February 2007, Mr Natt also promised parliament a geothermal energy bill, which was repeated in November. And in February this year, Chief Minister Paul Henderson also made reference to geothermal energy when he told parliament climate change was "one of the most critical issues facing the Northern Territory".
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