The push to improve US geothermal energy production as a cleaner alternative gained momentum in October with federal approval of a potential record 2 GW project in Utah, as well as proposed streamlining of requirements of permits from the Land Management Office for future projects.
Houston-based Fervo Energy received BLM approval on Oct. 17 to proceed with development of its Cape Geothermal Energy Project in southwestern Utah, which is slated to begin providing electricity in 2026. It will make use of improved geothermal technology, which uses the tools and techniques of shale. fracking to inject water into underground hot spots and capture the steam produced to generate electricity.
The company can now begin drilling and building generation facilities on the project’s 631 acres, which includes 148 acres of public land. In June, Fervo announced two purchase agreements with Southern California Edison for 320 MW of the project’s output, including the initial 70 MW when it comes online in two years.
“Fervo is actively moving forward with the construction of our power plant,” says Fervo spokeswoman Chelsea Anderson, but “we are unable to comment on supplier and procurement details at this time.”
Privately held Fervo, which has not released a cost estimate for the Cape project, says it expects to build capacity in phases, with the potential to generate 2GW annually.
Should it reach that output, it would tie a geothermal electricity generation record set in 1987 by The Geysers, the world’s largest geothermal field, which includes several power plants and spans dozens of square miles in Northern California . Fervo said in September that flow rates from the Cape project’s first well test show it has the potential to be the “most productive enhanced geothermal system in history”.
Tim Latimer, CEO and co-founder of Fervo, says the company “continues to achieve technical milestones for geothermal development that experts predict will be established decades from now.”
Along with greenlighting the Cape Station project, BLM also announced it would reduce the regulatory burden—and potential cost—for geothermal exploration on public lands. This categorical exclusion for sites up to 20 acres would allow test drilling and other activities with less environmental requirements. Additional details are expected to be released soon at the Federal Registerbeginning a 30-day public comment period.
As of October, the Biden administration has approved 14 geothermal projects among 42 in renewable energy that have pushed it past its 25 GW goal by 2025.
