Google Turns On First-Of-A-Kind Geothermal Plant To Power Data Centers

Google has started using emissions-free geothermal power to run some of its data centers in Nevada. The new plant, built by startup Fervo, uses a system of "enhanced" geothermal energy to draw heat from deep underground up to the surface.

"While we've started with this project in Nevada, there's potential for geothermal to grow," wrote Michael Terrell, Google's senior director for Energy and Climate, in a blog post announcing the new plant's arrival. The tech giant has a goal of using all emissions-free energy sources by 2030, and if improved geothermal tech can be expanded that could play a big role in meeting that target.

There is no shortage of energy down below: two percent of the heat found between two and four miles under the U.S. is equivalent to more than 2,000 times the energy the country uses in a year. Even a more practical estimate of attainable geothermal from the Department of Energy says 120 gigawatts — around 10 percent of the installed electricity capacity in the U.S. today — could be installed by 2050.

The world has been relatively slow to tap all that energy, though now the drilling lessons learned during the shale gas boom are being transferred to a more climate-friendly industry. Technology like horizontal drilling can make the economics of a geothermal plant more appealing, and now a number of startup companies like Fervo, Eavor, Quaise and others are trying to jumpstart the industry.

Google's project is small, at 3.5 megawatts, or enough to power about 2,600 homes. But in September, the company announced a partnership with Project Innerspace, an organization dedicated to expanding the nascent enhanced geothermal industry, suggesting more is on the way.

"Decarbonizing global energy systems will require new sources of firm, clean power to complement variable renewables like wind and solar," said Google's director for clean energy and decarbonization Maud Texier, in a statement in September. "We see significant potential for geothermal technology to provide 24/7 carbon-free energy at scale."