Energy resources have been a major focus for BGS over our 175 year history. In the past,
our geologists searched for coal to keep the UK supplied with energy crucial for economic
development. Coal mining subsequently declined and by the 1980s we were studying
abandoned mines to try and resolve problems of subsidence, flooding as the dewatering
pumps were switched off, and contaminated water discharging into rivers. More recently we
have returned to our geological maps and archives of coal mine plans with a new energy
source in mind — geothermal energy
