From Texas to social media: Former Big Oil execs exploring geothermal energy

Sage Geosystems, a clean power startup led by former oil industry executives, is attempting to leverage its expertise in a different energy sector to advance geothermal technology. On Monday, Aug. 26, Sage announced a partnership with Meta to power the tech giant’s data centers, which support platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Threads, with carbon-free geothermal energy.

Geothermal energy, which involves drilling artificial reservoirs to harness heat from beneath the Earth’s surface, offers a sustainable alternative to traditional power sources.

Sage has been at the forefront of recent developments in this technology, applying its knowledge of oil and gas operations to optimize geothermal systems for both energy production and storage.

"There's a huge global interest in renewables, and geothermal, to me, has huge untapped potential," Cindy Taff, CEO of Sage Geosystems, said. "We want to deploy geothermal now. We want to use off-the-shelf oil and gas equipment, technologies, and people to make it happen."

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimated that geothermal energy could reduce heating costs for residential homes by as much as 70% . It also said storing energy through this method can also be cheaper than other options. Sage’s innovative approach aims to make geothermal a competitive alternative to solar, wind and natural gas.

“Our background in oil and gas tells us that you have to optimize that system together in order to come up with a cost effective and, quite frankly, a cost competitive solution to solar, wind and natural gas,” Taff said.

In addition to the Meta deal , Sage recently announced a major collaboration with the state of Texas to build the world’s first geothermal energy storage system. The startup hopes that other oil industry players will follow its lead in exploring the potential of geothermal energy. However, Sage remains committed to pushing forward even if others are hesitant to join.

"It would be nice if the major oil and gas companies got into the game, but if they don't, we don't see that as a deterrent," Taff said. "What surprised me is, I guess it's the untapped potential of leveraging oil and gas skills. We can teach how to drill wells more efficiently and effectively, and just use our performance management skills to optimize the system."

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