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Along with B.C. McCabe and Robert Bering, Aidlin founded Magma Power Co. in 1954, which went on to develop the first geothermal steam production for commercial electric power generation in the Western Hemisphere at The Geysers.
Calpine Corp. purchased a one-megawatt interest in the power plant named for Aidlin in 1989 and today is the largest operator at The Geysers, with 15 plants capable of generating up to 750 megawatts of electricity.
Aidlin, who also co-founded the Geothermal Resources Council (GRC), died Sept. 30, 2010, at the age of 100.
“Joe Aidlin grabbed onto the basic economic benefit of geothermal energy when most people did not even know how to define it, and he did much of the original lease work at The Geysers,” explained Ron Suess, President of The Geysers Geothermal Association.
Mike Rogers, senior vice president of Calpine’s Geothermal Region, greeted attendees during the dedication ceremony of Joseph W. Aidlin Memorial Park, and Land Manager Kevin Talkington unveiled the park’s sign.
Speakers included Geothermal Education Office Executive Director Marilyn Nemzer and GRC Historian Susan Fox Hodgson.
“The Geysers would not today be the nation’s largest geothermal resource without the vision and dedication of Joe Aidlin,” Mr. Rogers said. “It is only fitting that this park should bear his name.”
“Every molecule and megawatt gave him satisfaction. Joe valued land and The Geysers geothermal field, and we value Joe for what he has meant to us and the geothermal community,” Ms. Hodgson added. “This long tradition is a fitting legacy for the Joseph W. Aidlin Memorial Park.”
Located on private land, access is limited to the picturesque park within the Mayacamas Mountains. Calpine hosts regular community tours, and the park is a favorite place to stop during spring and summer months.
