Fervo Energy exports first geothermal power from Utah's Cape Station

Fervo Energy has successfully exported its first power to the grid from a 33-megawatt block at the Cape Station development in Beaver County, Utah. This milestone marks a significant step for the company’s enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) technology, which utilizes heat from the Earth's crust by fracturing rock deep underground to generate steam for turbines.

The Cape Station project has a total contracted offtake of approximately 900 megawatts. Fervo aims to have 100 megawatts online by January 1, 2027, with plans to scale capacity to half a gigawatt by 2028 and potentially reach over four gigawatts in the future. The company has already secured long-term agreements, including a contract to supply 320 megawatts to Southern California Edison over 15 years.

Google, an early proponent of geothermal power, is a key supporter of the technology. The deployment leverages techniques adapted from the oil and gas industry, involving drilling parallel wells to approximately 8,000 feet below the surface to facilitate heat exchange.