Meta signs 150-MW geothermal power purchase agreement with Sage Geosystems
Sign at Meta Headquarters in Menlo Park, California (source: Nokia621, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)
Carlo Cariaga
27 Aug 2024
Meta will be purchasing geothermal power from Sage Geosystems' proprietary Geopressured Geothermal Systems to power their data centers in the US.
Meta Platforms Inc. (Meta) has signed an agreement to buy geothermal power from Sage Geosystems Inc. (Sage) to supply its data centers in the US. The first phase of the 150-MW project is expected to be operational by 2027 at a yet-undisclosed location, but is said that it will be east of the Rocky Mountains.
The agreement was announced during the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Catalyzing Next Generation Geothermal Development Workshop in Washington. At the event, executives from Sage and Meta joined U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy David Turk and other government officials and energy stakeholders to discuss the opportunity and growth of geothermal as a growing carbon-free energy source in the U.S.
The partnership will utilize Sage’s proprietary Geopressured Geothermal Systems (GGS) to generate power for Meta’s data centers. Successful results of the pilot of this technology had already been reported in late 2023. Very recently, Sage announced the signing of a land use agreement to build its first 3-MW GGS facility in Christine, Texas, which will then buy and sell electricity to the ERCOT grid.
Supply of power to data centers is proving to be a reliable and large market for geothermal development. This is the case in other parts of the US, but also in Kenya, Iceland, and New Zealand.
“This announcement is the perfect example of how the public and private sector can work together to make the clean energy transition a reality,” said Cindy Taff, CEO of Sage Geosystems. “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.”
“Meta thanks the Department of Energy’s leadership on promoting and supporting the exploration of new energy sources like geothermal. 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,” added Urvi Parekh, Head of Renewable Energy at Meta.
“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,” said U.S. Energy Deputy Secretary David Turk. “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.”
Source: Reuters and Business Wire
