Meta signed an agreement with Sage Geosystems, a geothermal energy company, to provide 150 megawatts of carbon-free, new geothermal power to its data centers. After announcing the partnership at a Department of Energy workshop, the companies made it clear that working together would also help with the technology company’s data center expansion and grow Meta’s renewable energy use. This agreement not only greatly expands the use of geothermal power in the U.S. but would also be the first use of next-generation geothermal power east of the Rocky Mountains.
Urvi Parekh, Head of Renewable Energy at Meta, said, “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 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.”
“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.”
Although the companies have made this agreement, Sage Geosystems CEO Cindy Taff told ESG Dive that a location for the site is still being determined. What is known for certain is that the first phase of the project is anticipated to be operational and online in 2027, with Taff saying phase two is expected to be operating 36-to-48 months following that.
Per ESG Dive, “Taff said in an interview with ESG Dive that Sage and Meta first connected around a year ago, and the tech and social media company took time to do due diligence on the technology. She said in addition to providing an offtake for their geothermal energy — the partnership allows Sage to raise funds to build what will likely be its first operational commercial geothermal facility.”
Meta plans to meet net-zero emissions across its supply chain and power its operations with 100% renewable energy by 2030.
