Geothermal seems to be nearing an inflection point. With rising load growth, clean, firm power is more valuable than ever. Next-gen geothermal players like Fervo Energy and Sage Geosystems are signing PPAs with major tech firms. Even U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright — a known critic of renewables — has praised the potential of geothermal.
The size of the U.S. geothermal resource accessible through next-gen geothermal technologies like enhanced-geothermal systems is enormous — potentially thousands of gigawatts. But tapping into it hinges on figuring out the economics.
So what does it actually take to develop a geothermal project — and how are new tools reshaping the process?
In this episode, Shayle talks to Carl Hoiland, co-founder and CEO of geothermal energy company Zanskar, which uses AI for enhanced geothermal exploration. Shayle and Carl cover topics like:
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Why geothermal stalled — and what’s changing now
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The full step-by-step process of developing a project
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How to avoid exploration risk, also known as dry hole risk
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Methods for estimating resource size and managing depletion risk
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The geothermal supply chain
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How permitting is speeding up
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Carl’s outlook for when and where development is likely to happen
Resources:
Latitude Media: Geothermal could meet 64% of hyperscale data center power demand
Latitude Media: Why geothermal might benefit from Trump’s tariffs
The Green Blueprint: How a text message launched a geothermal revolution in Utah
Latitude Media: The geothermal industry has a potential ally in Chris Wright
Latitude Media: Why California lawmakers are warming to geothermal
Credits: Hosted by Shayle Kann. Produced and edited by Daniel Woldorff. Original music and engineering by Sean Marquand. Stephen Lacey is executive editor.
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