{
  "id": 9113540,
  "title": "A clean energy source is buried under the desert, but it takes water to use it",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/22/a-clean-energy-source-is-buried-under-the-desert-but-it-takes-water",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-22T08:45:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Grist",
    "slug": "grist",
    "url": "https://grist.org/energy/geothermal-clean-energy-source-water-use/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Deep beneath the Rocky Mountains, Sierra Nevada, and deserts lies a vast energy source: geothermal power. It originates from heat rising from Earth's core, bolstered by the tectonic forces that shaped the region's dramatic landscapes. This clean energy source is attracting the attention of tech giants like Meta and Google, who are seeking sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels for their sprawling data centers. Companies are developing innovative geothermal technologies to tap into this heat, promising consistent power around the clock, unlike the intermittent nature of solar and wind energy.\n\nWhile traditional geothermal power relies on pumping water from hot underground reservoirs to generate steam and electricity, newer \"next-generation\" methods aim to minimize water use. XGS Energy, for instance, employs a closed-loop system that recirculates water through a pipe, extracting heat from the Earth without significant evaporation or loss. In 2025, Meta committed to supporting XGS's 150-megawatt project in New Mexico, which could power approximately 430,000 households.\n\nHowever, there's a trade-off. Enhanced geothermal systems, which use fracking techniques to create underground reservoirs, can be less water-intensive than traditional methods but still require some water for extraction and operation. For example, Fervo's Project Red in Nevada currently loses about 30 percent of the injected water, while its Utah-based Cape Station project, designed to supply Google, aims for a lower loss rate. Oracle, another major tech company, plans to build up to 2 gigawatts of renewable energy in New Mexico, potentially including geothermal, to meet its climate commitments. As geothermal power becomes more mainstream, balancing water conservation with energy production will be crucial for sustainable growth in the Western U.S.",
  "summary": "Geothermal companies face tough tradeoffs over water as they aim to power the data center buildout in Western states.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}