Google has recently announced a significant leap in its commitment to sustainable energy practices by incorporating carbon-free electricity from a geothermal project to power its data centers in Nevada.
Tim Latimer, Chief and Co-founder of Fervo Energy, a Houston-based company, is collaborating with Google on this groundbreaking geothermal initiative. Latimer emphasized the rarity of new energy companies successfully integrating electricity from geothermal resources into the grid, highlighting the substantial achievement of this project.
Geothermal energy, often touted as a solution to climate change by the International Energy Agency (IEA), has the potential to contribute 3.5% to global electricity production annually by 2050, according to a 2011 document from the agency. This shift could result in preventing almost 800 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year.
Fervo Energy’s collaboration with Google began in 2021, focusing on the development of geothermal power. The current operational plant, located near Winnemucca, Nevada, is producing approximately 3.5 megawatts sent to the grid through three wells. While this is a significant stride, Google has also secured agreements for solar energy and electricity storage to meet the data centers’ greater electricity demands.
Google’s commitment to utilizing geothermal energy extends beyond the Nevada project, with considerations for incorporating this sustainable source into other data centers globally. Michael Terrell, leading climate efforts at Google, expressed the company’s hopes for this initiative to act as a catalyst for more advanced geothermal power options worldwide.
In 2020, Google announced its ambitious goal to rely on “carbon-free” energy every hour of every day across all its operations by 2030. Acknowledging the influence of major corporations like Google, energy experts see these commitments as pivotal in driving the adoption of clean energy.
While the United States currently leads in utilizing geothermal energy for electricity production, it constitutes less than half a percent of the nation’s total electricity production, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Nevertheless, advancements in geothermal systems are expected to expand its reach, introducing this form of energy to areas previously deemed impossible.
Fervo Energy, among other geothermal companies, is exploring innovative drilling technologies, delving deeper below ground to tap into energy sources in previously untapped locations. This approach holds promise for making geothermal energy more accessible and efficient.
Google and Fervo believe that geothermal’s reliability as a clean energy source, available around the clock, makes it a valuable addition to their sustainable energy portfolio. Fervo’s upcoming project in Beaver County, Utah, aims to contribute clean power to the grid starting in 2026, with full production expected by 2028. The focus remains on unlocking continuous, renewable energy, a sought-after goal in today’s market.