Geothermal energy is gaining traction as a renewable power source for large-scale data centers, providing a continuous and reliable electricity supply. It serves as an alternative to nuclear power, especially for the energy demands of AI workloads. Geothermal power plants can also offer direct cooling solutions, making them advantageous for operations generating significant heat. Conventional geothermal systems draw on underground reservoirs to produce energy, which results in low lifecycle emissions and requires less land. However, their scalability is limited to specific geological areas like volcanic regions.
Geothermal power offers continuous, reliable baseload electricity which is essential for data centers managing high-density, round-the-clock AI workloads, notes Graham Grant, CEO at Seequent.
Conventional geothermal systems utilize underground hot water reservoirs to generate power with low lifecycle emissions, requiring less land and having fewer material inputs, states Sanjay Purswani.
Using the Earth as a heat exchanger can effectively cool data centers without needing electricity or additional fuels, providing a significant advantage for heat-generating AI workloads.
Proponents advocate geothermal energy as a viable alternative to nuclear power for green data centers, which hyperscalers are increasingly pursuing for their power needs.
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