In the USA, a new executive order aimed at promoting American leadership in data centers was signed last week by outgoing President Joe Biden. The aim: to boost AI infrastructure using clean energies such as nuclear power, long-term storage and geothermal energy!
With the arrival of Donald Trump in the White House, the timetable is likely to change, but several factors suggest that this underground energy could soon occupy a key place in the energy mix powering data centers.
First, the Trump administration has indicated that it wants to unleash all forms of energy to meet the massive increase in AI-related demand. Secondly, Chris Wright, the Secretary of Energy, may be a fervent defender of fossil fuels, but he’s also a geothermal enthusiast. For example, he has invested $10 million in the startup Fervo Energy, which specializes in this clean energy. Finally, access to deeper, hotter resources means, in some cases, the use of fracturing technologies (Enhanced Geothermal Systems), in which Mr. Wright is an expert.
Last August, Meta announced an agreement with startup Sage Geosystems to power its data centers. Google has already partnered with Farvo Energy to acquire over 100 MW of energy in Nevada. Microsoft has signed a geothermal power purchase agreement in New Zealand with Contact Energy , and is also developing a geothermal campus in Kenya with G42.
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