Facebook owner Meta Platforms struck a deal to buy geothermal power from Sage Geosystems to supply its U.S. data centres, it said on Monday, as it races to build out the infrastructure to support its massive investments in energy-hungry artificial intelligence.
First reported by local media Reuters, the announcement made by Meta was part of a U.S Department of Energy event on geothermal development. United States President Joe Biden’s administration is asking big technology companies to invest in new clean power generation to cover their surging electricity demand.
The rapid adoption of latest technologies like generative AI requires large amounts of electricity to power data centres and if not tackled purposefully, this development might complicate United State’s target of decarbonizing the power sector by 2035.
Upon the completion of its first phase by 2027, the 150-megawatt geothermal project is expected to significantly expand the use of geothermal power in the United States. Further details of the exact location has yet to be determined but the companies said it will be located east of the Rocky Mountains. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Geothermal power is a form of renewable energy source that makes use of Earth’s internal heat to produce electricity and heat water. For context, 150-megawatts is roughly enough to power electricity to 38,000 homes.
This deal represents a major step for Meta in its efforts to develop more sustainable data centres while accelerating growth in its generative AI division.
