The geothermal plant produces 3.5 MW of power that gets distributed to the grid and Google’s data center in Nevada. (Image Credit: Google)
In 2021, Google collaborated with Fervo Energy to build a geothermal power plant. Now, the tech giant recently announced its Nevada-based data centers are receiving some power from this project that generates clean energy for the local grid. This is part of Google’s goal to operate on carbon-free electricity by 2030.
In July, Fervo drilled two horizontal wells measuring 3,250 feet long to tap into the heat of 376°F. The startup also placed fiber optic cables for real-time data collection on the geothermal system’s performance, flow, and temperature. This plant doesn’t take up as much space as alternative clean energy sources and has the same expertise, skills, and supply chains used for other industries.
“By applying drilling technology from the oil and gas industry, we have proven that we can produce 24/7 carbon-free energy resources in new geographies across the world,” Fervo Energy CEO Tim Latimer said. Now, the site has three wells and distributes 3.5 MW of power to the grid. And that amount of power isn’t enough to power Google’s data centers fully.
(Image Credit: Google)
If a geothermal energy plant is deployed and operated properly, it can coexist with birds and wildlife. That’s because it has a small footprint, and the plants are usually placed in hot, less habitable areas. Not only that, but geothermal plants can also go in locations that may be inaccessible for solar power installations. Compared to wind and solar energy generation, geothermal plants don’t require a lot of land space. This makes them a better option for clean energy than natural gas and coal.
However, geothermal plants still pollute the air and water that can harm the environment. And because they often need a lot of water, it raises concerns for those involved with fish spawning and rearing where there isn’t much water available. Additionally, these plants release sulfur chlorides, arsenic, mercury, vanadium, silica compounds, nickel, and other toxic heavy metals. If those are concentrated, they could kill localized fish and wildlife.
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