Meta and Sage Geosystems have announced a partnership to use geothermal energy to power the former's US data centers in a first-of-its-kind project aimed at reducing carbon emissions.
The agreement, revealed at a US Department of Energy (DoE) summit, will deliver up to 150MW of new geothermal baseload power and is expected to be operational by 2027.
Sage will use its proprietary Geopressured Geothermal System (GGS) technology, which taps into heat and pressure beneath the Earth's surface to generate power, demonstrating the potential for widespread adoption across the US and globally.
Self-Funded
This project represents a significant advancement for geothermal energy, especially in regions where it has not been previously viable. The energy produced will feed into the power grid rather than directly supply Meta's data centers, aligning with the tech giant's broader goal of supporting the transition to a cleaner and more reliable power grid.
The announcement was made during a DoE summit on geothermal energy, where six other projects were unveiled, receiving up to $31 million in funding.
Although financial details were not disclosed, Meta and Sage's initiative is not slated to receive any money from the US government. This partnership is reportedly a small part of Meta's extensive renewable energy efforts, which include over 12,000MW of contracted projects, making it one of the largest corporate buyers of renewable energy globally.
Urvi Parekh, Head of Renewable Energy at Meta, highlighted the significance of this partnership, stating, "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."
"This announcement is the perfect example of how the public and private sectors can work together to make the clean energy transition a reality," noted Sage Geosystems CEO Cindy Taff.
"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."
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