The push to enhance U.S. geothermal power production as a cleaner alternative picked up steam in October with U.S. Interior Dept. approval of a potential record 2-GW project in Utah as well as proposed streamlining of federal permit requirements for future projects on public lands.
Houston-based Fervo Energy received department approval Oct. 17 to proceed with its Cape geothermal power project in Beaver County, set to start delivering electricity in 2026. It will make use of enhanced geothermal technology, which involves tools and techniques of shale fracking to inject water into underground hot spots and capture the steam produced to generate electricity.
The company is drilling and constructing 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 output from the project, including the initial 70 MW when it comes online in two years.
“Fervo is actively progressing on construction of our power plant,” says Fervo spokeswoman Chelsea Anderson, but “at this time we aren't able to comment on any specifics regarding suppliers and procurement.”
Privately held Fervo, which has not released a cost estimate for the Cape project, says it expects to build out capacity in phases, with the potential to eventually generate 2 GW annually.
Should it reach that output, it would tie a record for geothermal electricity generation set in 1987 by The Geysers, the world’s largest geothermal field, which includes several power plants over 45 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, Fervo CEO and co-founder, says the company “continues to achieve technical milestones for geothermal development that experts predicted to be set decades from now.”
Interior 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 fewer environmental requirements. Additional details will be published soon in the Federal Register, beginning a 30-day public comment period.
As of October, the Biden Administration has approved 14 geothermal projects among 42 in renewable energy that has pushed it past its goal of 25 GW by 2025.
