Geothermal Energy Advances

Fervo Energy’s FervoFlex system involves drilling horizontally into hot rock beneath the earth's surface and pumping in water to create hot water and steam; the resulting geothermal energy can be stored and released strategically for future customer use. Fiber optic cables in each of its wells give the company real-time information on flow, temperature, and performance. Such analytics have helped Fervo reduce its drilling time by 70% and cut the price per well from $9.4 million to $4.8 million. A pilot project with Google went online in 2023, providing the energy for a data center in Nevada. A bigger project, in Utah, is set to go online in 2026 and ultimately provide energy for 400,000 homes. Jack Norbeck, Fervo's co-founder and chief technology officer, predicts that by 2050, geothermal energy "becomes the backbone of the decarbonized energy system."