As hyperscalers scramble for enough clean, round-the-clock electricity to feed the global surge in AI computing, one message is becoming impossible to ignore: the world’s data-center strategy is running head-first into a power crisis — and geothermal may be one of the few scalable solutions left.
At the SOSV Climate Tech Summit, leaders from Google and Microsoft laid out a stark reality. In 2023, U.S. data-centers consumed an estimated 176 terawatt-hours of electricity — more than the annual use of many small countries — and that demand is expected to balloon as advanced AI models grow hungrier for computing power.
Full article: https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/data-centers/energy-race-google-microsoft-sosv-summit
Both tech giants are racing to secure “clean, firm” power: energy that is carbon-free and available 24/7. Google highlighted its partnerships with geothermal innovators like Fervo Energy, pushing enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) as a rising contender for datacenter-grade baseload. Microsoft, meanwhile, is opening the door to alternative firm sources — from nuclear restarts to hydrogen backup systems — all aimed at building a more resilient energy backbone for its cloud empire.
What ties these strategies together is the growing recognition that intermittent renewables cannot carry the data-center future alone. Solar and wind generate when the weather cooperates; AI workloads operate on demand, around the clock. That mismatch is driving hyperscalers to hunt for resources that can deliver stable, dispatchable power without the carbon penalty.
Enter geothermal.
Unlike other clean-energy options, geothermal behaves like a traditional power plant — constant output, high reliability, minimal land footprint — but with the carbon profile of renewables. Enhanced geothermal technology now unlocks heat reservoirs previously unreachable, positioning it as one of the few scalable, location-flexible solutions for the data-center sector.
Google’s public endorsement of geothermal as part of its 24/7 clean-energy strategy is not just symbolic; it’s a signal. The hyperscale computing boom will favour energy sources that combine cleanliness, firmness, and geographic adaptability. Geothermal checks all three boxes.
For data-center developers, investors, and utilities, the opportunity is clear: the next frontier in AI infrastructure may be underground.
