• About Us
  • Partnership Opportunities
  • Privacy Policy

Data Center Frontier

Charting the future of data centers and cloud computing.

  • Cloud
    • Hyperscale
  • Colo
    • Site Selection
    • Interconnection
  • Energy
    • Sustainability
  • Cooling
  • Technology
    • Internet of Things
    • AI & Machine Learning
    • Edge Computing
    • Virtual Reality
    • Autonomous Cars
    • 5G Wireless
    • Satellites
  • Design
    • Servers
    • Storage
    • Network
  • Voices
  • Podcast
  • White Papers
  • Resources
    • COVID-19
    • Events
    • Newsletter
    • Companies
    • Data Center 101
  • Jobs
You are here: Home / Energy / Google to Tap Geothermal Energy for Nevada Data Center Campus

Google to Tap Geothermal Energy for Nevada Data Center Campus

By Rich Miller - May 18, 2021

Google to Tap Geothermal Energy for Nevada Data Center Campus

Racks of servers inside a Google data center. (Photo: Google)

LinkedinTwitterFacebookSubscribe
Mail

Google will soon begin using geothermal energy to power its data centers in Nevada with carbon-free energy, the company said today. Google becomes the first hyperscale cloud operator to tap the earth’s own heat to power its servers, an approach that can provide green energy around the clock, addressing one of the key challenges with wind and solar energy.

Google will work with clean-energy startup Fervo Energy to develop a next-generation geothermal power project that will begin adding carbon-free energy to the Nevada power grid in 2022. The system will use underground fiber optic cables as sensors to identify the best locations to find geothermal energy.

“This collaboration also sets the stage for next-generation geothermal to play a role as a firm and flexible carbon-free energy source that can increasingly replace carbon-emitting fossil fuels — especially when aided by policies that expand and improve electricity markets; incentivize deployment of innovative technologies; and increase investments in clean energy.” said Michael Terrell, Director of Energy at Google.

“Not only does this Fervo project bring our data centers in Nevada closer to round-the-clock clean energy, but it also acts as a proof-of-concept to show how firm clean energy sources such as next-generation geothermal could eventually help replace carbon-emitting power sources around the world,” said Terrell.

Nevada is emerging as a primary testbed for Google’s ambitions to work closely with the utility industry in developing dynamic ecosystems to support renewable energy. Google is working with NV Energy to provision 350 megawatts of solar energy and 280 megawatts of energy storage to support its data center campus in Henderson, a suburb of Las Vegas. Data center technology provider Switch is also pursuing energy innovation in Nevada, creating a555 megawatt solar energy project and adding energy storage technology from Tesla to boost its use of solar energy for its data center campuses in Las Vegas and Reno.

Google also said that it has begun moving workloads between data centers to boost its use of renewable energy, a development that creates powerful new opportunities to green create cloud applications powered by solar, wind and geothermal energy. The company is also deploying large batteries to replace the diesel generators at one of its data centers in Belgium, describing the project as a first step towards using cleaner technologies to provide backup power for its millions of servers around the world.

All of these innovations support Google’s drive to power its global information empire entirely with carbon-free energy by 2030, matching every hour of its data center operations to carbon-free energy sources,

Using Fiber to Make Wells Smarter

The earth is a powerful source of heat, with an inner core that reaches nearly 10,000 degrees F. Small portions of this heat are released through geologic formations to create hot spots and seismic activity.  Geothermal energy harnesses heat from these hot spots, typically through deep injection wells. The U.S. currently has about 3.7 gigawatts of geothermal energy, which is also widely used in Iceland.

Because of cost and location constraints, geothermal still accounts for a small percentage of global clean energy production. The US Department of Energy projects that with as extraction techniques and policies are refined, geothermal energy could provide up to 120 gigawatts (GWs) of generation capacity in the U.S. by 2050.

Fervo’s approach harnesses technology to develop smarter wells.

Free Resource from Data Center Frontier White Paper Library

Bypass Architectures
Distributed and Centralized Bypass Architectures Compared
When designing a power protection scheme for data centers, IT and facility managers must ask themselves whether a distributed or centralized backup strategy makes more sense. Unfortunately, there is no easy answer to that question. Download the new white paper from Vertiv that explores the principle of centralized versus distributed bypass and applies it equally to standalone monolithic and integrated-modular UPS architectures.
We always respect your privacy and we never sell or rent our list to third parties. By downloading this White Paper you are agreeing to our terms of service. You can opt out at any time.

Get this PDF emailed to you.

“Using fiber-optic cables inside wells, Fervo can gather real-time data on flow, temperature, and performance of the geothermal resource,” said Terrell in a blog post. “This data allows Fervo to identify precisely where the best resources exist, making it possible to control flow at various depths. Coupled with the AI and machine learning development outlined above, these capabilities can increase productivity and unlock flexible geothermal power in a range of new places.”

Earth scientists have used dark fiber for seismic activity monitoring and earthquake detection through a technique known as distributed acoustic sensing, which uses the backscatter from interruptions in fiber-optic light pulses to infer movement and map underground activity. These techniques have been used in the oil and gas industry, and

Google is partnering with Fervo to develop AI and machine learning tools that could boost the productivity of next-generation geothermal and make it more effective at responding to demand from utility grids, especially in supplementing other renewable sources like wind and solar power. “Although this project is still in the early stages, it shows promise,” said Google.

The initial phase of the collaboration between Google and Fervo is expected to generate approximately 5 MWs of round-the-clock-power for the grid. That’s not a huge amount of power for Google, which can use hundreds of megawatts at one of its data center campuses. But if the technology performs well, it could pave the way for scaling up and being deployed in more locations.

LinkedinTwitterFacebookSubscribe
Mail

Tagged With: Geothermal, Google, Renewable Energy

Newsletters

Stay informed: Get our weekly updates!

Are you a new reader? Follow Data Center Frontier on Twitter or Facebook.

About Rich Miller

I write about the places where the Internet lives, telling the story of data centers and the people who build them. I founded Data Center Knowledge, the data center industry's leading news site. Now I'm exploring the future of cloud computing at Data Center Frontier.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Voices of the Industry

Overcoming Supply Chain Roadblocks: How to Avoid Disruptions in Your Data Center

Overcoming Supply Chain Roadblocks: How to Avoid Disruptions in Your Data Center The data center industry continues to experience significant global supply chain problems. Brett Williams of Service Express, explores the importance of leveraging the secondary hardware market to overcome supply chain roadblocks.

White Papers

design

Reimagine Enterprise Data Center Design and Operations

Future Facilities explores how digital twin technology can be used to virtualize and fine tune data center design.

Get this PDF emailed to you.

We always respect your privacy and we never sell or rent our list to third parties. By downloading this White Paper you are agreeing to our terms of service. You can opt out at any time.

DCF Spotlight

Data center modules on display at the recent Edge Congress conference in Austin, Texas. (Photo: Rich Miller)

Edge Computing is Poised to Remake the Data Center Landscape

Data center leaders are investing in edge computing and edge solutions and actively looking at new ways to deploy edge capacity to support evolving business and user requirements.

An aerial view of major facilities in Data Center Alley in Ashburn, Virginia. (Image: Loudoun County)

Northern Virginia Data Center Market: The Focal Point for Cloud Growth

The Northern Virginia data center market is seeing a surge in supply and an even bigger surge in demand. Data Center Frontier explores trends, stats and future expectations for the No. 1 data center market in the country.

See More Spotlight Features

Newsletters

Get the Latest News from Data Center Frontier

Job Listings

RSS Job Openings | Pkaza Critical Facilities Recruiting

  • Critical Power Energy Manager - Data Center Development - Ashburn, VA
  • Site Development Manager - Data Center - Ashburn, VA
  • Data Center Facility Operations Director - Chicago, IL
  • Electrical Engineer - Senior - Dallas, TX
  • Mechanical Commissioning Engineer - Calgary, Alberta

See More Jobs

Data Center 101

Data Center 101: Mastering the Basics of the Data Center Industry

Data Center 101: Mastering the Basics of the Data Center Industry

Data Center Frontier, in partnership with Open Spectrum, brings our readers a series that provides an introductory guidebook to the ins and outs of the data center and colocation industry. Think power systems, cooling, solutions, data center contracts and more. The Data Center 101 Special Report series is directed to those new to the industry, or those of our readers who need to brush up on the basics.

  • Data Center Power
  • Data Center Cooling
  • Strategies for Data Center Location
  • Data Center Pricing Negotiating
  • Cloud Computing

See More Data center 101 Topics

About Us

Charting the future of data centers and cloud computing. We write about what’s next for the Internet, and the innovations that will take us there. We tell the story of the digital economy through the data center facilities that power cloud computing and the people who build them. Read more ...
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

About Our Founder

Data Center Frontier is edited by Rich Miller, the data center industry’s most experienced journalist. For more than 20 years, Rich has profiled the key role played by data centers in the Internet revolution. Meet the DCF team.

TOPICS

  • 5G Wireless
  • Cloud
  • Colo
  • Connected Cars
  • Cooling
  • Cornerstone
  • Coronavirus
  • Design
  • Edge Computing
  • Energy
  • Executive Roundtable
  • Featured
  • Finance
  • Hyperscale
  • Interconnection
  • Internet of Things
  • Machine Learning
  • Network
  • Podcast
  • Servers
  • Site Selection
  • Social Business
  • Special Reports
  • Storage
  • Sustainability
  • Videos
  • Virtual Reality
  • Voices of the Industry
  • Webinar
  • White Paper

Copyright Data Center Frontier LLC © 2022