400 megawatts of power could provide electricity to a city of 350,000. That’s how much energy America wants to drill for in Utah, except this time, there won’t be any fossil fuels involved. A startup company called Fervo Energy has pioneered a new drilling technique with innovative technology that will allow America to utilize previously untapped geothermal energy.
Old geothermal technology is a thing of the past, this company is offering something new to power the future
Geothermal energy has the potential to change the energy landscape of America. This type of energy exploits the Earth’s internal heat to power turbines on the Earth’s surface and generate electricity. In the past, geothermal technology only focused on capturing heat that was close to the Earth’s upper crust, including pockets of steam and super-hot water. Fervo Energy, based out of Utah, has created a new way to access this renewable resource.
It used to be that little could be done with old geothermal technology if the location of the site wasn’t perfect. Fervo Energy wants to change that by drilling wells that go far deeper into the Earth. Inspired by oil drilling and natural gas drilling technology, Fervo Energy has proven that it can capture geothermal energy just about anywhere. The company’s machines can drill down to 9,000 feet where they can heat water to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Fervo Energy wants to drill 125 new sites in southwest Utah to generate clean electricity from the Earth’s heat
A huge success came for Fervo Energy when the company partnered with Google to power one of the mega tech leader’s data centers. As news of the partnership spread, one of California’s major electricity utility companies, Southern California Edison (SCE), offered to buy up to 320 megawatts from Fervo Energy’s project in southwest Utah. SCE wants to use this electricity to power at least 320,000 homes.
The new geothermal site in Utah is currently under construction and could have as many as 125 wells when it’s completed. Fervo Energy works in Utah because the Earth’s heat is a little closer to the surface than in other places. However, the company is committed to furthering research on its drilling technology so that geography will no longer present any barrier for geothermal power plants. Residents in Utah are worried about the possible environmental impacts of drilling, but Fervo Energy is convinced that geothermal is the best way to generate clean electricity for the country.
As the use of AI expands, so do energy needs, and geothermal might be the answer to the world’s prayers
The use of AI technologies has expanded tremendously in the last two years, and it looks like the sector will only grow. Experts think that by 2026, the combination of AI, data centers, and cryptocurrency will use as much energy as Japan does every year. If the global community wants to attain carbon neutrality before the end of the 21st century, the world needs to find a reliable source of green energy to fill these needs.
Geothermal power has faced some setbacks in the past, but it is now one of the most promising sources of clean energy. Super-hot rock is abundant inside the Earth, and once people figure out how to access it, it could mean a source of unlimited power. Fervo Energy is one of the companies moving forward with technology that could make geothermal a more effective solution to the world’s energy crisis.
Scientists have been looking everywhere for the next environmentally friendly power source that will save the world from climate change. The power that people can harness from geothermal energy is practically infinite. The only thing that stands in the way is technology. With the right tech and tools, your city could be powered by geothermal within the next decade.
