Two miles beneath the surface of central Oregon lies a power source that’s been cooking in silence for over 600,000 years—and it’s about to become one of America’s most important weapons in the fight against climate change.
Superhot rock geothermal energy isn’t new, but what’s new is our ability to tap it. Mazama Energy, a startup operating near the Newberry Volcano, is using breakthrough drilling techniques and cooling systems that allow them to access rocks heated to 300 to 400 degrees Celsius. The payoff? An energy yield five to 10 times greater than conventional geothermal plants, using 75 percent less water and requiring 80 percent fewer wells. At their pilot site last year, Mazama reached a record-breaking 629 degrees Fahrenheit—the world’s hottest geothermal system ever recorded. By 2029, they’re planning to generate 200 megawatts of power, with a theoretical capacity of five gigawatts—more than the entire U.S. geothermal capacity today.
But Mazama isn’t alone in this revolution. Fervo Energy, a Houston-based competitor, is moving even faster. In October, they’re opening a $462 million, 100-megawatt facility in Beaver County, Utah—a full-scale project, not a demonstration. What’s remarkable is the speed: Fervo brought the site online in two and a half years, compared to the five to 10 years typical for conventional geothermal projects. Thanks to horizontal drilling techniques borrowed from the oil and gas industry, both companies can now access hard-to-reach reservoirs with multiple wells from a single site.
The numbers are staggering. According to the International Energy Agency, geothermal could cover 15 percent of global electricity demand growth between 2024 and 2050, reaching 800 gigawatts worldwide. The U.S. already leads globally with 3.9 GW of installed capacity, though it represents just 0.4 percent of total U.S. energy production—mostly concentrated in western states like California (six percent) and Nevada (nine percent). Yet preliminary modeling suggests about 20 percent of U.S. land has exploitable superhot rock, and geothermal could be deployed competitively in at least half the 48 states plus Alaska.
The biggest concern has always been induced seismicity—human activity triggering earthquakes. There have been notable cases: a 2.6 magnitude quake in eastern France in 2020 and a 5.5 magnitude earthquake in South Korea in 2017 that injured 90 people and caused $52 million in damage. But experts say research has led to better management methods. Geothermal specialist Hannes Hofmann from the Technical University Berlin points out that“it usually only happens if an operator continues despite early warnings,”and notes that the lower population density in regions where the U.S. is deploying geothermal reduces human risk significantly. New projects are also being done more carefully—creating dozens of smaller fractures instead of one large one.
There’s another advantage that sets geothermal apart: it runs 24/7, unlike solar and wind. That reliability makes it ideal for data centers with intensive energy demands, though it does create logistical challenges for grids that aren’t built for constant peak supply. Even so, the technology is gaining bipartisan support. Mazama’s Newberry site received a $25 million Department of Energy grant, and in February the agency announced $171.5 million for next-generation geothermal field tests, estimating the U.S. has potential for 300 gigawatts of reliable geothermal power by 2050.
Interest is global. Kenya sources half its energy from geothermal; Iceland more than two-thirds; New Zealand around a fifth. In February, the U.K. opened its first geothermal power plant. Europe is watching closely—a February study estimated geothermal could replace 42 percent of EU coal and gas generation. As Pete Lumley, director of communications at Mazama Energy, puts it:“We are calling this era the geothermal renaissance.”
About the Author
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.
