Key facts
- Google will purchase 396 MW of electricity from Fervo's Cape Station geothermal plant in Utah.
- The plant is scheduled to begin operations in 2028.
- Google has the option to purchase an additional 600 MW by June 2030.
- The agreement aids Google's commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2030.
Geothermal energy company Fervo has secured a significant power purchase agreement with Google, committing the tech giant to buying 396 megawatts of electricity from Fervo's Cape Station power plant in Utah. This deal, announced Tuesday, is expected to come online in 2028, with Google holding an option to increase its purchase by an additional 600 megawatts through June 2030.
The agreement is crucial for Google as it seeks new sources of clean energy to meet its net-zero emissions goal by 2030. This move comes after Google previously secured a substantial amount of natural gas power, raising concerns about its climate targets. The enhanced geothermal technology employed by Fervo allows for deeper heat extraction, potentially unlocking significant electricity generation capacity.
Fervo's Cape Station has the potential to generate up to 4 gigawatts of electricity if fully developed, which would nearly double the current geothermal generating capacity in the United States, according to a U.S. Department of Energy report. This partnership builds on a long-standing relationship between Google and Fervo, which has seen Google invest in the geothermal startup.