Here & Now Anytime ‘Hot rocks’ have a moment in the quest for renewable energy
Dec 12, 2025
Peter O'Dowd, an investigative reporter focusing on climate and energy, teams up with William Shobe, a public policy expert from the University of Virginia. They explore the rising interest in geothermal energy, revealing how fracking techniques have revived its potential in the U.S. West. O'Dowd visits New Mexico to uncover geothermal resources, while Shobe analyzes Virginia's struggle to balance a 100% renewable goal with surging data center demands. Their insights highlight the innovative intersections of technology, policy, and sustainable energy.
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Data Centers Drive New Energy Deals
- Tech companies and data centers are the demand drivers making large, long-term power purchase agreements viable for new geothermal and nuclear projects.
- Without that corporate demand, many of these projects likely wouldn't clear financing or political hurdles.
Policy Tilt And Industry Alignment
- Federal policy favors geothermal and nuclear development while restricting wind and solar on some federal lands, creating an uneven energy playing field.
- Geothermal's industry ties to oil and gas may explain part of political support for it over other renewables.
Feeling Hot Rocks In New Mexico
- Peter O'Dowd kneels with geologist Sherry Kelly at a hot spring near Los Alamos to feel geothermal water and smell hydrogen sulfide.
- XGS Energy's CEO Josh Pruer points to springs as evidence of New Mexico's ~160 GW geothermal potential and deals with Meta to power a data center.