According to a new report from Rhodium Group, next-generation geothermal energy carries immense potential in powering data centre growth in the US over the next decade.
Project InnerSpace has launched a new data centre module in its GeoMap tool that aims to inform data center developers about the most promising locations for geothermal development, both in the United States and around the globe. Geothermal energy proves advantageous for meeting new data center load growth, with the new data centre module in GeoMap finding synergy for data centres in Texas, on federal lands throughout the western parts of the US, and in several locations outside of the US.
GeoMap uses a data model that assesses geothermal energy potential down to 5,000 m with a 150°C temperature threshold, ensuring sites meet minimum power generation requirements and can be drilled economically using today’s technologies. The model also factors in proximity to fibre nodes, a crucial consideration for connectivity.
Data centres being energy-intensive are expected to require a whopping 580 TWh of electricity by 2028 in the US alone. A report from the Rhodium Group therefore concluded that geothermal energy would be able to meet 64% of the expected US data centre growth by the early 2030s, with 100% of the anticipated data centre demand growth to be met in 13 large data centres. If built near abundant subsurface heat resources, data centre demand could be completely met through geothermal energy. Moreover, it would also be capable of lowering the national average levelised cost of electricity (LCOE) at geothermal-powered data centers by as much as 45%.
“With the US in an era of urgent competition to develop AI, all eyes are on data center growth and corresponding increases in energy demand,” said Drew Nelson, VP of programmes at Project InnerSpace. “The abundance and reliability of geothermal makes it an obvious choice to meet a great deal of that demand, and for the first time, this research puts a number on exactly what that potential is. The development potential is truly massive.”