A $1.5 million geothermal energy demonstration project will soon be piped into the village of Valemount.

Natural Resources Canada is funding the purchase of three 150kW modules which will turn the earth’s heat under the B.C. community into clean electricity.

“The demonstration geothermal turbines will provide a concrete example of how geothermal energy can be developed in Canadian communities,” said Catherine Leroux of Natural Resources Canada.

Dubbed “Sustainaville,” the project’s goal is to transform Valemount by providing geothermal power to greenhouses, hot pools and commercial buildings.

Borealis GeoPower, a Calgary-based geothermal energy company, has held exploration permits in the Canoe Reach area of Kinbasket Reservoir since 2010. To fund Sustainaville, the company won a bid from the federal government’s Energy Innovation Program. The financing allows Borealis to partner with Climeon, a Swedish heat power company recognized for its innovation in climate solutions.

Ultimately, if the drilling in Valemount is successful, more units can be added to increase the amount of electricity produced. The overarching goals of the project, however, are much more broad.

“The demonstration geothermal turbines will provide a concrete example of how geothermal energy can be developed in Canadian communities,” Leroux said, noting that there are more than 200 project replication sites identified for further exploration.

Local Valemounters have been cautiously optimistic about the news.

“The federal government is interested in small replicable projects,” said Korie Marshall, president of the Valemount Geothermal Society. “It makes sense that they would want to fund small power producing plants.”

Bob Covey // With files from The Rocky Mountain Goat