A first-of-its-kind geothermal energy project is up and running in Nevada that will help power Google's data centers with clean energy. Google has partnered with startup Fervo, which develops new technology that harnesses geothermal energy. Because they are using a different strategy than traditional geothermal power plants, the project is relatively small, with a generating capacity of 3.5 MW. One megawatt is enough to meet the electricity needs of approximately 750 households. In addition to serving Google's two data centers outside Las Vegas and Reno, the project will also provide power to the local power grid.
This is part of Google's plan to achieve 24/7 carbon pollution-free power supply by 2030. To achieve this goal, Google must obtain more clean energy. Google sees geothermal as a key part of its future power mix, filling the gap once wind and solar fade.
"When you think about how far we've come with wind, solar and lithium-ion storage - this is the next set of things and we feel like the company has a huge role to play in advancing these technologies," said Michael Terrell, senior director of energy and climate at Google.
The project has been in preparation since 2021, when Google announced "the world's first corporate agreement to develop next-generation geothermal power projects." Geothermal energy uses the heat emitted from the earth's interior. But this project is no ordinary geothermal power plant, which draws hot fluid from a natural reservoir to create steam to drive turbines.
The new project is actually being built on the outskirts of an existing geothermal field, where, in Terrell's words, "there's hot rock but no fluid." To generate geothermal energy there, Fairvod would have to drill two horizontal wells through which to pump water. Fairvod pushes cold water into rock cracks, heating it up to create steam at the surface. It's a closed-loop system so the water can be reused -- important in an arid region like Nevada.
Fervo also installed fiber optic cables in both wells to collect real-time data on flow, temperature and geothermal system performance. These are strategies taken from the oil and gas industry to tap energy resources that would otherwise be out of reach.
"This is very promising for us because it already leverages existing technology in the oil and gas sector. So we feel it has a lot of potential and a good chance of coming online sooner rather than later," Terrell said.
In addition to the Google deal, Fervo's technology is backed by Bill Gates' climate investment firm Breakthrough Energy Ventures and the U.S. Department of Energy.
Unlike wind and solar farms, which are sensitive to weather and time of day, geothermal projects can produce electricity more consistently. This is one of the reasons why Google is committed to bringing more similar projects online.
In September, Google announced a partnership with the nonprofit Project InnerSpace to "leverage each other's strengths to address key challenges in geothermal development, including the development of global geothermal resource mapping and assessment tools."
For now, the company is mum on deploying geothermal energy elsewhere for its data centers. Data centers are notoriously power-hungry, with demand so great that it accounts for approximately 1% of global electricity consumption.