Can the world’s own geothermal energy solve Meta data center power supply problem?

The planet has massive reserves of heat just below the surface that can be used for power

Data centers demand a tremendous amount of electricity, and geothermal energy is being considered to provide a solution to this growing need.

Meta made a clean energy announcement at a DoE workshop

Meta – parent company of popular social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp – chose the geothermal energy workshop at the US Department of Energy (DoE) to announce its plans to use the Earth-made renewable power source through a new partnership.  The company is now working with Sage Geosystems for a substantial expansion of the use of this type of electricity in the United States.

According to a post made by Meta in its Facebook About website section, it explained the decision by pointing out that they “understand the need for reliable, affordable and carbon-free power.” It also went on to say that the company is “committed to pioneering clean energy initiatives to support our work.”

Looking to geothermal energy to power huge data centers

The partnership between Meta and Sage Geosystems is a core component of that effort. It will involve examining the use of new geothermal energy technology in a number of places in the United States where it hasn’t been possible to access that sub-surface heat before.

The DoE has shown a substantial opportunity in this type of renewable power, and Meta openly acknowledged their appreciation for it.

“We appreciate the Department of Energy’s leadership in recognizing the opportunity geothermal technology offers going forward,” they said in the post.

Opportunities throughout the US

Meta and Sage will be using the latter company’s proprietary Geopressured Geothermal System (GGS) to provide Meta’s data centers with renewable, zero-carbon power. The technology underscores important moves forward in clean energy, placing the spotlight on the potential difference geothermal energy could have in overcoming challenging problems in power demands, particularly when it comes to data centers, which are notorious for their massive electricity needs.

The first phase of the Meta and Sage project is targeted to be online and fully operational before the close of 2027.