Decades ago I went over the edge on conservation. I washed & reused bread bags, collected rubber bands off the mail, made doggie sweaters from old sweatshirt sleeves & seedling planters out of recycled milk jugs. (O.K. I confess. I still do these things.)
So it rubbed me the wrong way when I read about Copper Country mining companies of the 1900’s scrapping out pumps, steam hoists & other perfectly good machinery as they prepared to close their doors for the last time.
Now consider the folly of today’s Upper Peninsula communities, struggling to pay for imported fossil fuels for heating – when beneath their cities lie untapped, ready-made geothermal resources. I’m talking about abandoned mine shafts that hold hot water in their non-productive depths.
Many countries are wisely investing in district heating systems using old mine shafts, and drastically cutting their utility costs in the process. These geothermal district heating systems (GDHS) are highly efficient and provide an abundance of renewable energy, long-term local jobs, and a surplus of community development funds that would otherwise be wasted on expensive, unsustainable fossil energy.
Since our U.P.-based company has already developed key elements of GDH systems – high-efficiency, low-cost turbine generators & pumps – we see a big win for district heating projects that use our technical know-how.
You don’t have to be a recycling addict to understand that cutting utility bills will plug the leaks in your economic boat & help you move forward to a brighter future. Contact us with your comments, questions & suggestions.
Copperland Corporation 