America's Geothermal Breakthrough

I worked on geothermal control systems a decade or so back. There are some less obvious applications for geothermal that reduce electric use (as opposed to generating electricity).

The systems I worked on were for cooling larger structures like commercial greenhouses, gov installations and mansions. 64° degree water would be pumped up from 400' down, run thru a series of chillers (for a/c) and then returned underground - about 20° or 25° warmer.

I always thought this method could be used to provide a/c for neighborhoods, operated as a neighborhood utility. I've not seen it done tho. I've seen neighborhood owned water supplies and sewer systems; it tells me the ownership part seems feasible.

Oh, Fervo Energy again. They're trying to IPO, hence the hype. Wikipedia's warning: This article reads like a press release or a news article and may be largely based on routine coverage. (February 2026) This article may have been created or edited in return for undisclosed payments, a violation of Wikipedia's terms of use. It may require cleanup to comply with Wikipedia's content policies, particularly neutral point of view.

Here's a more realistic evaluation of Fervo.[1]

[1] https://www.latitudemedia.com/news/what-fervos-approach-says...

According to google, this would be almost 30% of total US energy production (135gw-150gw) and nearly 5% of total US energy consumption.

But what is the "breakthrough" if there is one? The article doesn't really suggest any breakthrough that is unlocking this potential energy? Or maybe I'm looking for a technological breakthrough where there isn't one.

While I’m not extremely bullish on large scale geothermal, much like with Housing, we need any and all types of it.

Those geothermal plants up by Mammoth Lakes are looking like a great idea right now

Here is an article that is a bit old but discusses the start of things [1]. It would be a bit ironic if fracking tech helped get us further from using natural gas. I think the reality will be if this gets established we will see rapid improvement as scale comes on line so if it is remotely economical now it will be massively better in 5-10 years. Of course the 'if' applies.

[1] (2023) https://time.com/6302342/fervo-fracking-technology-geotherma...

this looks like a search for fluffy money durring an energy crisis.

Turbines are completly mature, and nothing dealing with some new deap drilling breakthrough or heat exhanger advancement, or more efficient and durable pumps, crittical CO², or H²O ?, not yet. Existing geothermal plants use the same generation technology as a coal plant, but use near surface heat assosiated with volcanoes and hot springs, and there is a distinct limit on more of that.

Would be great to see this in our lifetime

Is 150GW enough for a “revolution”? That’s about 10% of current total power production.

There's one of those sites near where I live. The numbers would be amazing if true, but feel a lot like "to good to be true" to me

https://www.opb.org/article/2025/10/06/super-hot-rocks-geoth...

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What is the point of building energy outside of solar farms? I'm sincerely asking

The whole continent of America made a breakthrough?