Everybody in the Pool E112: Sage Geosystems: The clean energy everyone loves
Nov 20, 2025
Cindy Taff, CEO of Sage Geosystems, has spent decades in energy, shifting from oil and gas to innovate in geothermal power. She unpacks why geothermal is primed for a breakthrough, leveraging skills from drilling for oil. Taff reveals how their unique systems can provide not only renewable energy but also long-duration storage. The conversation also touches on bipartisan support for geothermal, the integration of familiar drilling techniques, and the potential for scaling this energy solution in the U.S. to address growing demands.
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Career Pivot From Shell To Geothermal
- Cindy Taff left a 36-year Shell career to join Sage Geosystems in January 2021 after seeing the potential to apply her drilling expertise.
- She joined the week the company got funding to help drive costs down and scale next-generation geothermal.
Geothermal Beyond Hotspots
- Next-generation geothermal expands usable geothermal resources far beyond conventional hotspots by engineering reservoirs and injecting water from the surface.
- Cindy Taff says this approach reduces exploration risk and lets geothermal work in many more places than traditional geothermal.
Heat Is Everywhere, Economics Matters
- Heat is widespread but conventional geothermal only uses about 2% of the resource; next-generation could access roughly 50–60% of it.
- The limiting factor becomes depth and economics rather than absolute heat availability, according to Cindy Taff.