Meta, the US tech giant behind Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, just signed a deal with XGS Energy to boost its clean energy output. The plan is to add 150 megawatts of carbon-free electricity to the grid in New Mexico, where Meta’s AI data center is located.
This move is all about powering Meta’s growing AI data center, which needs more energy to keep running. The company sees XGS’s geothermal tech as a way to increase its power supply and support the data center’s progress in the US.
Traditional geothermal power plants use heat from the earth to generate electricity. They rely on hot fluids or steam from natural sources to spin turbines. But this tech has geographical limits – it only works in areas with hot fluids. In the US, that’s just 0.5% of the land. XGS’s new approach uses dry rock to generate power. It drills into hot rock, installs pipes, and lets water circulate through them. The water absorbs heat from the rock, turns into steam, and drives a generator. The water can be reused, and the plant can produce electricity 24/7.
The project will be done in two phases, with the goal of starting electricity production by 2030. Meta is also working towards its goal of zero greenhouse gas emissions. Last week, it signed a deal with Constellation Energy to buy 1,121 megawatts of nuclear power for 20 years. In August 2024, it signed another deal with Sage Geosystems to produce 150 megawatts of geothermal energy, supporting the growth of its AI data center.