Houston startup, Meta sign agreement that significantly expands geothermal power in US
big tech
A Houston company has signed a new agreement with Meta Platforms Inc. — Facebook's parent company — to power the tech giant's data center growth.
Houston-based Sage Geosystems agreed to deliver up to 150 megawatts of new geothermal baseload power to Meta. The companies made the announcement this week at the United States Department Energy’s Catalyzing Next Generation Geothermal Development Workshop.
The deal is significant because it's the first next-generation geothermal project located to the east of the Rocky Mountains, the companies report in a news release.
“This announcement is the perfect example of how the public and private sector can work together to make the clean energy transition a reality,” Cindy Taff, CEO of Sage Geosystems, says in the release. “We are thrilled to be at the forefront of the next generation of geothermal technology and applaud the DOE for supporting the commercialization of innovation solutions.
"As energy demand continues to grow, the need for reliable, resilient and sustainable power is paramount and our partnership with Meta underscores the critical need for innovative and sustainable energy solutions like ours,” she continues.
The project's first phase will aim to be operating in 2027. The plans reflect how geothermal is being recognized as a growing carbon-free energy source in the country, and how Meta is committed to clean energy initiatives.
“The U.S. has seen unprecedented growth in demand for energy as our economy grows, the manufacturing sector booms thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda, and new industries like AI expand,” U.S. Energy Deputy Secretary David Turk says. “The Administration views this increased demand as a huge opportunity to add more clean, firm power to the grid and geothermal energy is a game-changer as we work to grow our clean power supply.”
Sage's technology — called Geopressured Geothermal System — works deep in the earth to develop energy storage and geothermal baseload power.
“Meta thanks the Department of Energy’s leadership on promoting and supporting the exploration of new energy sources like geothermal," Urvi Parekh, head of renewable energy at Meta, says. "That leadership supports Meta’s goal to enable the addition of reliable, affordable, and carbon-free power to the grid with this geothermal energy deal. We are excited to partner with such an innovative company like Sage Geosystems that is a proven leader in geothermal development on this project and beyond.”
Sage recently teamed up with a utility provider for an energy storage facility in the San Antonio metro area to build its three-megawatt EarthStore facility.
The company is also working on an exploratory geothermal project for the Army’s Fort Bliss post in Texas, which is the third U.S. Department of Defense geothermal initiative in the Lone Star State.
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This article originally ran on InnovationMap.