Google and Fervo Establish First Geothermal Project in Nevada

Becoming Fervo's partner, Google established a carbon-free energy-producing power plant (photo: dock. Google)

JAKARTA – In an effort to accelerate the environmentally friendly energy transition, Google is building the first geothermal project in Nevada. This project officially operated on Tuesday, November 28.

Through its release, Google revealed that it had partnered with Fervo, a startup developing geothermal energy technology, since two years ago. The two of them are working together in developing a geothermal power plant project.

Since being commissioned, the power plant has begun delivering carbon-free electricity to the local power grid that serves Google's largest data center in Nevada. This project is capable of producing 3.5 megawatts (MW).

The power plant that Fervo developed is different from traditional power plants. The startup carries out drilling techniques through areas already used by the oil and gas industry to harness geothermal energy.

“Fervo dug two horizontal wells and installed fiber optic cables to capture data showing geothermal system flow, temperature, and performance in real-time,” said Google Senior Director of Energy and Climate Michael Terrell.

From this method, the power plant used by Google is able to produce carbon-free energy (CFE) using less land compared to other environmentally friendly energy sources.

Even though this project has just been built, Google plans to expand this geothermal growth to various other countries. This is proven by the partnership between Google and Project InnerSpace, a non-profit body for the development of global geothermal energy.

Google did not specify the contents of the agreement, but the company is determined to accelerate the application of geothermal energy into the bigger picture. For now, Google's goal is 24/7 CFE.

“As we journey towards CFE 24/7, we will continue to push boundaries, test new ideas, and collaborate with others to transform the power sector globally,” said Terrell.