There is a power crunch when the AI and cloud providers increase the data center configuration. But the new report suggests that the solution is under their basics.
According to the analysis of Rhodium Group, advanced geothermal power can supply almost two -thirds of new data center demand by 2030. This adds to the US four -giga watt to about 16 giga watts, which will drop the amount of geothermal power in the United States four times.
In the western United States, which is richer in geothermal resources, this technology can provide 100%of the demand for new data centers. For example, Phoenix can add 3.8 gigabytes of data center capacity without building a single new power plant.
Geothermal resources have enormous potential to provide consistent power. Historically, geothermal power plants have been limited to the earth’s heat near the surface. But according to the US Energy Department, advanced geothermal technology can unlock 90 gigs and watts in the United States alone.
Advanced or improved geothermal heat includes a wide range of approaches, but usually drills deeper and wider than ever before. This allows you to access more popular rocks. The division has seen the surge of new companies led by the recent knowledge and technology borrowed from oil and gas companies.
For example, Fervo Energy has been established by oil and gas engineers to expand the potential of geothermal heat by using the perfect horizontal drilling technology over the last decades. The company raised more than $ 200 million in 2024 with a significant cost reduction of more than $ 200 million.
Another start -up, Bedrock Energy, allows you to extract more power from a limited number of office buildings and data centers that are limited to a deep drilling area to minimize geothermal footprints. The company’s special drilling leagues have been lowered by more than 1,200 feet and utilized consistent heat all year round.
Quaise Energy’s technology sounds like it’s out of science fiction. Startups vaporize rocks using the microwave created by Gyro Tron. If you skip the traditional drill bit, Quaise hopes to penetrate 12.4 miles (20 kilometers) depth. At that depth, the rock is almost 1,000 degrees F. all year round, and provides almost infinite amounts of heat to drive a generator or warm building.
Most companies use other startups to store energy in different ways while using the ability to provide and store Earth’s heat. The Sage District System is injecting water into the well under pressure. When a power is needed, you can open the tab and run the water through the turbine like an electric dam upside down.
Rhodium Report says that today’s price is very low in terms of energy center because geothermal power is very low, the Rhodium Report said. When data centers are similar to today’s methods, in general, processes and geothermal power costs close to textile optics and major metro areas are more than $ 75 per Mega Wat time.
However, if the developer is in its seat, the geothermal potential is described, the cost is dropped to about $ 50 per Mega Wat.
This report assumes that the new generation capacity will be “behind the meter.” This means that experts bypass the grid and call it a power plant that is directly connected to the customer. The waiting time for a new power plant to connect to the grid can increase for years. As a result, it is more attractive to data center operators who scrambled to build new capacity after the meter deployment.
