NEW ORLEANS — Troy von Otnott has spent nearly two decades searching for the next frontier in clean energy. He helped ignite Louisiana’s solar industry in 2008, turning a fledgling sector into a regional powerhouse. Now, as the chief executive of HotRok Energy, he is convinced that geothermal power is poised to emerge as the next great renewable energy revolution — and he is determined to accelerate it.
“Clean energy opportunities come in waves,” Mr. von Otnott said. “But this time, we are not just riding the wave. We are creating the momentum behind it.”
From Local Solar Breakthroughs to Global Ambitions
Troy von Otnott’s career began with solar, when he co-founded South Coast Solar and helped push through a state tax credit that transformed Louisiana into a leader in residential clean energy. Within two years, his company was the largest solar provider in the Southeast.
In the years that followed, he worked across the clean energy ecosystem, from developing projects to mentoring startups through Cleantech Open, the world’s largest accelerator for new technologies. His leadership roles there and on advisory boards for the Georgia Cleantech Innovation Hub and The Ray in Atlanta gave him a vantage point on how breakthroughs can spread from local experiments to global solutions.
That experience now informs his vision for geothermal. “The United States has the most installed geothermal capacity in the world,” he said. “And yet we are only scratching the surface. Imagine if we treated the heat beneath our feet as seriously as we once treated oil and gas. The impact would be transformative.”
The Data Center Challenge
Troy von Otnott sees an immediate opening in the explosive growth of hyperscale data centers, which require massive amounts of electricity. Companies like Google, Microsoft and Meta are searching for reliable clean power sources to keep their servers running at all hours.
“Wind and solar are vital, but they are intermittent,” he said. “Geothermal is clean, always-on, and scalable. It belongs at the center of the utility mix.”
HotRok Energy is now working to deploy advanced closed-loop geothermal technologies in the American South, starting with untapped resources in Louisiana. With recent signals of support from the Department of Energy, he believes geothermal is finally being recognized as a baseload solution for the country’s future infrastructure.
Heat Beneath Our Feet
Troy von Otnott’s journey has been shaped by discipline and foresight. He studied business at Cumberland University while serving in the U.S. Army from 1984 to 1987, where he specialized in nuclear, biological and chemical operations. Later, he earned an MBA in sustainability from the San Francisco Institute of Architecture.
That combination of practical training and entrepreneurial drive has helped him recognize when the market is ready to shift. In Louisiana, it was solar. Now, he sees a global opportunity in geothermal.
“This is not just about America,” Mr Troy von Otnott said. “Geothermal potential exists everywhere. The technologies being developed today can bring clean, firm energy to communities across the planet.”
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