Honorary Lifetime Memberships

Geothermal Canada, a not-for-profit organization committed to advancing science and promoting geothermal research and development in Canada, is honoring Alan Jessop, Andrew Nevin, and Tim Sadlier-Brown for their significant contributions to the geothermal industry.

alan jessop

Alan Jessop is a physicist and leader of geothermal energy research in Canada. He was the first researcher in Canada to publish on geothermal energy and has authored more than 90 published documents in the field of heat flow and geothermal energy.

Alan is an Emeritus Scientist with the Geological Survey of Canada and lives in Calgary, AB. He received both his undergraduate degree in Physics and his doctoral degree in Mining from the University of Nottingham, UK.

Alan’s career started out at the British Cotton Research Industry Association where he was hired as a physicist to develop a system of spun yarn – the company soon discovered that they needed an electrical engineer, not a physicist, so Alan looked further afield. Acceptance of a post-doc at the University of Western Ontario brought him to London, Ontario where he worked with Bob Uffen on the thermodynamics of magma. Alan then began working for the federal government at the Dominion Observatory (Seismology Division), followed by the Earth Physics Branch, and finally the Geological Survey of Canada, all the while applying his expertise to collecting and interpreting seismic and geophysical data. From the mid-70s to the mid-80s, Alan led the first Canadian geothermal energy research program, which included the Meager Creek system in BC. Other research projects that Alan was involved in include Springhill (where old abandoned mine shafts were flooded with water, then pumped through heat pumps at the surface before being returned to the mines after use) and the Regina Sports Building (using geothermal energy to supply heating to a new sports complex). However, none were commercially developed. In the mid-1980s, Alan transferred to the Calgary office of the Geological Survey of Canada and continued working on geothermal energy projects until his retirement in the early 1990s. In his retirement, Alan continues to publish, including an Open File (OF #4887) with 30,000 lines of data.

andrew nevin

Andrew Nevin is a geologist who has made significant contributions to Canada’s geothermal industry. He was on the team that found the hot, young Meager Creek system northwest of Pemberton in the 1970s and worked on the $30 million project to establish it as a viable geothermal resource.

Andy continues to consult and lives in Surrey, BC, Canada. He received his B.Sc. in Geophysics from the St. Lawrence University, Canton, New York; his MA in Geology from the University of California, Berkeley; and his Ph.D. in Geology, Mining Engineering, Statistics from the University of Idaho, Moscow, ID.

Andy’s early career was in mineral exploration. He then began his own consulting company, Nevin Consultants Ltd., prospecting for, and mapping, copper resources near Port Hardy, BC. Subsequently, Nevin Consultants Ltd. merged into Nevin Sadlier-Brown Goodbrand Ltd., which extensively studied the Meager Creek system for about a decade. The Meager Creek studies were initiated by Nevin Sadlier-Brown Goodbrand Ltd. by pitching a proposal and receiving funding from BC Hydro to do some scouting for geothermal energy resources in BC. Funding for successive years also came from the BC and the federal governments.

Andy continued his career in hydrothermal metal deposits, during which time he also did independent geothermal work, building upon knowledge gained from studying the Meager Creek system.

Andy’s long and successful career was built upon mentoring relationships that began in his early university days, and continue to the present day. His advice to up and coming geothermal professionals is that a student of hydrothermal metal deposits (gold, silver, copper, zinc, etc.) who has experience with drill holes and the irregular symmetry of reservoirs can transfer those same principles and use the same mental tools in the geothermal industry.

Tim sadlier-brown

Tim Sadlier-Brown is a geologist who has made significant contributions to the Canadian geothermal industry. He was on the team that found the hot, young Meager Creek system northwest of Pemberton in the 1970s and worked on the $30 million project to establish it as a viable geothermal resource.

Tim continues to consult with Sadlier-Brown Consulting Ltd. and lives in North Vancouver, BC. He received his B.Sc. in Geological Sciences from Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario.

Tim’s professional experience began with seasonal jobs with Amax Explorations Ltd. and the Geological Survey of Canada. He then progressed to become a Senior Geologist with Atlas Explorations, a Project Geologist with Sevensma Consultants Ltd. and a Project Manager with Nicanex Mines Ltd., working on various mineral exploration programs in BC, the Yukon and southeast Alaska. In 1972, Tim started his own consulting company, of which, with several name changes, he is currently President and Partner.

Geothermal projects that Tim has worked on include Meager Creek, Mt. Baker, Mt. Cayley-Elaho Valley, hot springs evaluations at Gwaii Hanaas (Queen Charlotte Islands) and Banff, AB.

In addition to continuing his geological consulting with Sadlier-Brown Consulting Ltd., Tim serves as a Director of two companies, Summit Power Corp. and Premier Power Corp. Summit Power Corp. initiated two hydroelectric plants which are producing clean electricity today – Soo River (near Whistler, BC) and Doran Lake – Taylor River (near Port Alberni, BC). Premier Power Corp. initiated a hydroelectric plant at Long Lake (near Stewart, BC). As well, Tim is a Charter Member of CanGEA and Geothermal Resources Council. Tim’s career advice is that it is best to be involved in a career that is personally satisfying.