18 NOVEMBER 2026 WorldWide Drilling Resource® Turning Old Coal Mines Into Clean Energy Adapted from Information by the University of Victoria Cumberland, British Columbia, Canada, was built on coal mining. Thousands of workers were employed and millions of tons of coal were exported over 80 years. From 1888, until the late 1960s, over 17 million tons of bituminous coal was excavated and shipped from the Comox Valley. The Union Bay Wharf loaded the ships that set sail for international markets. Coal coked in Union Bay was also sold to smelters for lead and zinc production. Then mines were shuttered, leaving deep holes in the ground and a deeper void in the village’s economy. Now, with the University of Victoria-led Accelerating Community Energy Transformation (ACET) initiative, Cumberland is planning for future clean energy from the abandoned mine shafts and extraction tunnels beneath its streets. Through the Cumberland District Energy project, ACET is looking into how water trapped in the old mines can be utilized to produce geothermal energy to heat and cool buildings. The project is a step toward reimagining the municipality as a clean, green outdoor adventure destination. This step also represents a potential shift in how longtime locals, relative newcomers, and visitors alike view the village. Water trapped underground in the abandoned mines is cooler in summer and warmer in winter compared to the temperature aboveground. Taking advantage of the temperature difference, heat pumps use the water from the abandoned mines to provide heating and cooling to buildings at a relatively low cost with nearzero carbon output. However, initial modeling of potential energy systems for Cumberland is focused on a proposed civic precinct redevelopment - a community center, municipal offices, affordable housing, and a large industrial zone closer to Comox Lake. “It’s been a big motivation to think about this energy system in the context of how we can reduce the costs of critical infrastructure and provide critical amenities for community members,” said ACET Community Energy Planner and Project Lead Zachary Gould. “But it’s not just an energy system. It’s an opportunity to look at resource extraction in a new way in a village that was built on extractive principles. This project could turn those ruins of extraction, so to speak, into an opportunity and a shared community asset.” The industrial foundations of Cumberland run deep. ACET researchers are determining how these now abandoned coal mines under the village could generate geothermal energy to heat and cool buildings. Photo courtesy of Cumberland Museum and Archive. For more information call: (270) 786-3010 or visit us online: www.geothermalsupply.com All New! Atlantis-Pro Vault • Traffic-Rated Capable • Simple installation • Trouble-free operation See us at GROUNDWATER WEEK Booth 685
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