TECH – In an era where the race for clean, reliable energy is intensifying, a U.S. startup called Sage Geosystems has taken a major step toward building what could become the world’s first commercial pressure geothermal power plant, drawing fresh investment and sparking interest in geothermal’s broader potential, according to Interesting Engineering. The company recently raised $97 million in Series B funding — money targeted at advancing its unique pressure geothermal technology and moving it out of the lab and into real-world deployment.
Traditional geothermal projects have long been constrained by geography; they rely on rare natural reservoirs of underground steam or hot water, meaning only certain volcanic or tectonically active regions are suitable. Sage’s approach sidesteps this limitation by tapping into hot dry rock and subsurface pressure deep underground to generate energy and store heat, unlocking buried power resources in far more locations than before.
Instead of waiting for nature to provide a ready-made steam field, Sage engineers create an engineered reservoir where underground heat and pressure work together to expand and contract fluid, driving turbines and producing electricity — a method that turns widespread hot dry rock into a constant source of clean power. This could be a game-changer in geothermal energy, expanding its reach well beyond traditional hotspots like Iceland’s Reykjanes geothermal station or Japan’s long-established plants, which historically depended on natural hydrothermal systems.
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What’s especially noteworthy about this project is how it connects to today’s data economy. In August 2024, Sage signed a deal with Meta to provide 150 MW of clean energy to power its data centers east of the Rocky Mountains using geothermal energy, reflecting a growing trend of pairing climate-friendly energy with intensive computational infrastructure. Beyond data centers, supporters see pressure geothermal as a potential backbone for decarbonizing grids, offering 24/7 energy that isn’t subject to the intermittency of solar or wind power.
Investors such as Ormat Technologies — a veteran in the geothermal sector — participated in the funding round, with Ormat’s CEO Doron Blachar calling the partnership a “natural next step in a strategy to move faster from concept to commercialization,” and highlighting how Sage’s innovations align with the broader mission to scale geothermal deployment.
By creating a new class of geothermal energy — often called enhanced geothermal — Sage and its backers are betting that the Earth’s deep heat, once elusive and location-bound, will become a mainstream source of carbon-free power. If successful, this pressure-based system could help cities and industries around the world tap the planet’s ancient heat, delivering electricity around the clock without emissions, and redefining how humanity harnesses the energy beneath its feet.
