Geothermal Energy: Powering Data Centers and Communities

Описание: The main speakers and their affiliations during the webinar were:
• Krisha Tracy, a Principal Strategic Business Developer at Amazon Web Services (AWS).
• Shuajit Batacharia, a Research Associate Professor at the Bureau of Economic Geology (BEG) at the University of Texas at Austin.
• Kristen Marcia, President of Deep Earth Energy, joining from Canada.
The webinar was introduced by Susan Nash of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)

The webinar focused on geothermal energy's role in powering data centers and communities, emphasizing its potential to meet rising electricity demand. AWS, co-founder of The Climate Pledge (net-zero by 2040), views geothermal as the "missing piece" for continuous, reliable base load power required by its exponentially growing data centers, which can demand 20 to 100+ megawatts per facility. Geothermal offers a 90% capacity factor, providing 24/7, dispatchable power regardless of weather, unlike intermittent solar and wind.

However, wide-scale adoption is challenged by higher Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) prices, which are cited as $60 to $100 per megawatt hour for some geothermal projects, compared to $15 to $25 for solar and storage. The Bureau of Economic Geology (BEG) in Texas is mapping resources for both conventional and next-generation technologies like Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) to unlock resources beyond traditional active zones, promoting geographic flexibility. Deep Earth Energy in Canada addressed economic constraints by pivoting to a hybrid solution incorporating natural gas, enabling a 140-megawatt, essentially non-emitting, affordable, and reliable base load project that also captures CO2 for enhanced oil recovery and explores critical mineral co-production. The consensus among presenters is that cross-sector collaboration and integrated approaches—considering resource availability, accessibility, and deliverability—are essential to accelerating the geothermal industry
Amazon (AWS) co-founded "The Climate Pledge" in 2019, committing to net-zero carbon emissions by 2040 through collaborative, cross-sector action towards low- and zero-carbon energy solutions.

AWS data centers require continuous, reliable base load power, typically 20 to 100+ megawatts. Massive power needs are doubling due to AI workloads, which are intensive, volatile, and increase the demand for stable base load.

Amazon views geothermal energy as the missing piece for reliable base load power due to its high capacity factor and firm, dispatchable nature. Geothermal provides 90% capacity factor, generating power 24/7, unlike intermittent solar/wind, which require massive battery storage.

Advanced geothermal technologies (EGS, closed loop systems) are needed for geographic flexibility, unlocking resources beyond traditional tectonic zones. This enables deployment near data centers to reduce transmission losses and generate clean energy "anywhere."

The Bureau of Economic Geology (BEG) is conducting detailed geothermal resource mapping in Texas (Gulf Coast, East Texas). This state project assesses conventional, next-generation (EGS, thermal storage), and co-generation of resources like lithium and hydrocarbons.

Deep Earth Energy in Saskatchewan overcame economic challenges by converting its conventional geothermal project to a hybrid solution incorporating natural gas. This resulted in a 140-megawatt, essentially non-emitting, base load power project that offers the required provincial affordability and reliability.

The Canadian hybrid project achieves greater economics by capturing 1,200 tons/day of CO2 for enhanced oil recovery and exploring co-production of critical minerals (lithium, strontium) from the brine, providing additional revenue.

Widespread geothermal adoption is impeded by the current Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) price. Western US geothermal PPAs range from $60 to $100/MWh, higher than the $15 to $25/MWh cited for solar and storage projects.

To advance the industry, collaboration is necessary to integrate resource availability, accessibility, and deliverability. Researchers and industry leaders must match the geothermal resource base, engineering technologies, and infrastructure (grid/microgrids) for power distribution.