Partner Profile

Fervo Energy

Fervo Energy is a geothermal energy company using advanced drilling and data technologies to deliver reliable, 24/7 carbon-free power.

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What is Fervo Energy’s mission?

Fervo Energy’s mission is to leverage innovation in geoscience to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy by providing cost-effective, reliable geothermal energy through development of new technology. By adapting technologies from the oil and gas sector — including horizontal drilling and advanced subsurface modeling — Fervo is unlocking geothermal’s potential to become a scalable, deployable, and firm zero-emission energy source.

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How does Fervo Energy’s approach to geothermal energy differ from traditional methods?

Fervo Energy uses precision directional drilling technology to drill horizontally in geothermal reservoirs, technologies leveraged from the oil and gas sector. While conventional geothermal systems require specific geologic conditions where heat, water, and permeable rock are pre-existing, Fervo’s enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) overcome these limitations with their precision reservoir engineering.

Fervo drills vertically to depths of over 8,500 feet before turning horizontally and drilling approximately 5,000 feet, allowing us to tap hot rock formations previously considered inaccessible. This reduces our surface footprint, increases well density, and boosts total resource potential. We’ve also adapted shale-era tools like polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) drill bits to efficiently penetrate hard granite.

This approach enables us to deploy geothermal in a broader range of geographies, making the resource more scalable and significantly expanding the potential for geothermal energy.

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What technologies does Fervo Energy employ to enhance geothermal energy Production?

Fervo utilizes fiber-optic cables to gather and analyze real-time data on flow, temperature and performance of the resource, providing unique insights into subsurface behavior at a resolution never before possible. Fervo also leverages artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance well performance:

AI-driven real-time temperature models speed up drilling and safeguard equipment in high-heat conditions.
Machine learning (ML) image processing of distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) data from fiber-optic arrays map subsurface fractures and fluid flow with exceptional accuracy.
Proxy ML simulations of geothermal reservoir performance run 10,000x faster than conventional models, enabling rapid design optimization.

Key milestones:

Project Red (Nevada): 3 MW Commercial Pilot Project. One year of continuous operation data shows zero thermal decline.
Cape Station (Utah): 500 MW Greenfield Development. Twenty wells have been drilled to date and per-well costs reduced from $9.4M to $4.8M. Fully contracted Phase I, 100 MW scheduled to put electrons on the grid in 2026. This has been enabled by PPAs with public utilities and major energy buyers seeking firm, zero-emission power.
Upcoming Project (Nevada): A new 115 MW development with Google and NV Energy, supported by a first-of-its-kind Clean Transition Tariff, to deliver around-the-clock carbon-free power to the grid.

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Where can Fervo’s geothermal technology be deployed, and foes it require existing geothermal activity?

Fervo unlocks geothermal power in regions where conventional methods can’t operate, removing the dependence on specific geologic conditions. By engineering our own geothermal reservoirs using horizontal drilling and stimulation, we can unlock geothermal potential in previously untapped areas – including regions without naturally favorable subsurface conditions. This breakthrough drastically expands the geographic viability of geothermal energy, helping meet the energy needs of growing sectors like data centers and other large-scale energy users.

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Where can Fervo’s geothermal technology be deployed, and foes it require existing geothermal activity?

Geothermal is the only carbon-free renewable energy source deployable today that runs 24/7, regardless of weather or time of day. Unlike solar or wind — which are intermittent — geothermal provides baseload energy, making it the “missing middle” in the renewable energy mix.

This reliability is essential for:

Decarbonising during low solar/wind periods (e.g., nighttime, winter)
Powering AI data centres, which require constant, high-density electricity
Reducing grid infrastructure costs, as geothermal doesn’t need the same level of overbuild or storage

Fervo’s geothermal projects are also less exposed to fuel price volatility than natural gas and offer lower operational costs over time.

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As geothermal energy continues to grow, does Fervo Energy see opportunities for expansion beyong the U.S.?

While Fervo is focused on delivering projects located in the United States in the short term, there is significant potential for international deployment given the technology’s ability to deploy anywhere.

Fervo’s enhanced geothermal systems are not limited to naturally occurring hydrothermal resources like conventional geothermal systems, which means Fervo can unlock geothermal potential in geographies previously considered inaccessible.

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Does Fervo Energy see its geothermal technology as a potential bridge for oil and gas companies looking to transition to sustainable energy?

Yes. Fervo’s technology provides a clear pathway for oil and gas companies to participate in the energy transition using familiar tools, talent, and infrastructure. Enhanced geothermal draws directly from oil and gas innovations – including horizontal drilling, hydraulic stimulation, and well integrity practices – and offers a natural avenue for workforce retraining and supply chain participation. This makes EGS a unique energy transition solution that benefits both the economy and the environment, driving bipartisan support to accelerate the deployment of firm, zero-emission energy around the world.