Integrating indigenous values into geothermal development

Abstract

There are many strong reasons for pursuing geothermal energy – it is renewable, sustainable, reliable, and cost effective. Recent technological advances have dramatically expanded the range and size of viable resources, reduced the risks – both economic and environmental, via comprehensive exploration and modeling and thus created the potential for widespread development. A possible limiting factor is land access – for example in New Zealand most of the undeveloped high enthalpy resource is situated on/ in multiply owned Māori (indigenous people of New Zealand) land. Māori views of land, landownership and resource development differ from those of standard ‘western’ thinking. Integrating indigenous values into geothermal development approaches may facilitate progress.