Geothermal startups are racing to tap into the energy buried deep within the earth, as growing demand from data centers and electric vehicles strains the power grid. Now, a startup has developed the world’s hottest geothermal well that stores enough energy to power thousands of homes.
Mazama Energy today announced that it has drilled a well in Oregon and that the temperature at the bottom of the well reached 629 degrees Celsius (331 degrees Celsius). Vinod Khosla, whose company was incubated by Khosla Ventures, mentioned this milestone on stage today at TechCrunch Disrupt.
“This one site can produce 5 gigawatts of energy,” Khosla said.
There are even greater possibilities at other locations. “It’s not tens of megawatts, like a regular geothermal well. It’s capable of generating gigawatts, and frankly more than 100 gigawatts. The super-hot geothermal heat alone is more than what AI is projected to use in the near future.”
The company eventually hopes to drill into even hotter rock (400 degrees Celsius) and be able to generate at least 25 megawatts of electricity from a single borehole. This is approximately two to three times more power per borehole than our competitors are currently producing.
Geothermal power generation has been around for decades, but most power plants tap into shallow resources, such as hot springs, where heat comes from the Earth’s mantle and closer to the surface. Enhanced geothermal developers drill deeper boreholes to access higher volumes and more stable heat. This technology is expected to improve geothermal productivity and make it available in more places.
Because geothermal relies on the earth’s heat, enhanced geothermal can provide power 24/7. That’s why companies like Google have signed deals to own geothermal power data centers.
Enhanced geothermal energy has the potential to meet a significant portion of the nation’s existing and new energy needs, with wells drilled in the Great Basin region, centered in Nevada, potentially meeting 10% of the country’s current demand, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Tapping deeper rocks can potentially unlock more power with fewer resources. Injecting water into hotter wells can significantly increase the amount of energy per borehole. Mazama said it should use 75% less water than current geothermal systems.
“At 450 degrees Celsius, you get 10 times more output per well than at 200 degrees. What do you think? And the cost of natural gas is also dramatically lower, making it more cost-competitive without worrying about carbon emissions,” Khosla said.
