Canadian geothermal stocks on the rise

Geothermal sector rebound drives clean energy stocks higher as fresh investment and debt financing lift developers on the Toronto Stock Exchange, amid project finance momentum, mergers and acquisitions activity, and growing renewable electricity generation capacity.

Shares of geothermal energy companies listed in Canada leaped recently following a spate of positive announcements in recent weeks for this bombed-out corner of the clean power sector.

US Geothermal Inc rose as much as 35 percent, Nevada Geothermal Power Inc gained 11 percent and Magma Energy Corp, which raised its stake in an Iceland geothermal company earlier in the year, was up nearly 14 percent at one point on the Toronto Stock Exchange on recent news of money starting to flow again into this cash-hungry industry.

"There has been a string of good news out of the sector," said Jacobs Securities analyst John McIlveen, noting that Canada boasts great geothermal potential as well.

"They were all down almost 50 percent since the start of year. Much of the rest of the clean energy sector has already made its move back up, as geothermal is gaining attention worldwide among investors," he said.

Earlier, Ram Power Corp announced it had closed a $160 million debt financing for its San Jacinto-Tizate geothermal project in Central America, in a sector where a BC firm will supply geothermal electricity under new deals.

That follows news of Enbridge's investment of up to $23 million in U.S. Geothermal's Neal Hot Springs project, even as the U.S. tops in geothermal energy as a leader globally.

"There is no specific news for Magma however there has been a lot of good industry news lately," said Magma spokeswoman Alison Thompson. "I suspect that this is helping all of us," she said in an email.

In geothermal power production, hot water and steam from deep underground are piped up and used to drive turbines in plants that generate electricity.

The industry has experienced a rash of mergers and acquisitions as small companies have struggled to capital to develop their projects.

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