Google’s Geothermal Gamble: Unleashing Earth’s Heat to Power Its Big Computers

By: | December 5th, 2023

Image by Google

A Shift Towards Carbon Neutrality

Many large technology companies are committed to achieving carbon neutrality or net-zero emissions in the near future. These companies recognize the urgent need to address climate change and are taking steps to reduce their environmental impact.

Google’s Green Initiative

Google has unveiled an innovative approach to powering its data centers with sustainable energy derived from the Earth’s core. Recently, the tech company revealed its collaboration with Fervo, a clean-energy startup, on a geothermal project based in Nevada. This initiative harnesses the Earth’s heat to generate electricity, eliminating the need for burning fossil fuels as well as reducing carbon emissions into the atmosphere.

As part of its plan to achieve 24/7 carbon-free energy by 2030, Google has launched a geothermal project in Nevada, aiming to reduce reliance on fossil fuels. Despite being carbon neutral since 2007, Google faces the challenge of meeting energy needs equivalent to that of a small country, primarily due to data centers supporting Google Cloud and AI models.

Google utilizes geothermal energy in Nevada to power its operations, supporting the goal of achieving carbon-free status in six years. This reliable and flexible clean energy source complements renewables and contributes to 24/7 carbon-free energy on the grid. Google is also exploring advanced technologies  like battery storage, green hydrogen, and carbon capture, aiming to inspire others to adopt cleaner energy solutions.

Nidhi Goyal

Nidhi is a gold medalist Post Graduate in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences.

More articles from Industry Tap...