TORONTO--(Marketwire - April 26, 2010) - The discourse on green energy almost always includes the upside of how great it is for the environment and the downside of how much it will cost.
With a stalled Green energy movement that seems to have convinced few people that it can actually replace our dependence on fossil fuels, Tom Rand thinks it's time to move the goal posts. An engineer who is also a venture capitalist who puts his money where his mouth is, his challenge is simple: America can either pioneer green energy as an investment that will pay off for centuries to come, or wind up paying someone else for the same solutions down the road.
That's why Rand, author of "KICK the Fossil Fuel Habit: 10 Clean Technologies to Save Our World" (www.ecotenpublishing.com), thinks that Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) is one solution that we should not overlook.
"EGS is the game changer, and if pursued with vigor, could contribute in a huge way to getting us off oil," Rand said. "I see the solution both as an engineer and as a venture capital specialist, because it's not just about going green -- it's about going green, replacing our dependency on foreign oil and fossil fuels and becoming an energy solutions provider for the rest of the world. Instead of the world's biggest consumer of energy, we could also become the world's largest producer of energy solutions for the world."
Rand said EGS would not require a massive infrastructure overhaul, or the need to develop vastly complicated new technologies.
"The idea is simple," he said. "In most of the world, the ground 6 miles underneath our feet is dry, but as hot as the hottest aquifer. That heat can be mined, brought to the surface, and used to generate electricity. If we are serious about wanting to replace coal, we simply drill EGS holes beside every coal plant. Replace the boiler with a heat-exchanger. Keep the rest of the infrastructure. Turn off the furnace. It could easily provide all its energy needs for the foreseeable future."
About Tom Rand
Tom Rand is a Professional Engineer and has Doctorate from the University of Toronto. He currently acts as Lead Cleantech Advisor at the Toronto-based MaRS Institute, which supports the commercialization of Canadian research and development.
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