Krafla, volcanic region in northern Iceland, where there is a geothermal energy station
The startup created an AI system that helps to easily identify where there will be viable geothermal reservoirs, without having to rely on luck in the search.
A groundbreaking discovery in geothermal energy in Nevada could mark a turning point for one of the renewable energy sector’s most overlooked technologies.
Zanskar, a geothermal exploration startup, announced on Thursday the identification of a new commercially viable geothermal reservoirconsidered the first intentional discovery of its kind in the U.S. geothermal industry in decades.
The company’s breakthrough represents a significant moment for geothermal energy, long considered limited, stagnant or too risky to scale up. “When we started this company, the most common message we heard was that geothermal energy was dead“, said Carl Hoiland, co-founder of Zanskar. “This is the first concrete sign that the tide has turned.”
Geothermal energy works by exploiting natural underground reservoirs of superheated water that produce steam to turn turbines. Although the western US has some of the greatest geothermal potential in the world, most viable systems are buried at great depths, with no signs on the surface. These “hidden” or “blind” systems are notoriously difficult to detect and historically, they have only been discovered accidentally during oil and gas exploration, mining or agricultural drilling.
“It’s like looking for a needle in a haystack. A very small percentage of the land we analyze will have an associated geothermal system”, says Joel Edwards, the other co-founder of Zanskar, to .
Zanskar aims to change this paradigm. Using artificial intelligence to analyze massive geological data sets, the company developed a system to locate these hidden reservoirs systematicallyrather than by chance. Their methods are based on years of academic research, including work led by University of Nevada geologist James Faulds, whose studies have helped define the characteristics of hidden geothermal systems.
For years, Zanskar models have identified promising spots in Nevada, but drilling is needed to confirm whether water temperatures are sufficient to generate electricity. The newly confirmed location is the first test company that its AI tools can, in fact, locate commercially viable geothermal resources. Additional testing will determine the reservoir size and water flow rate, which are key factors in determining energy production potential.
The discovery comes in a context in which there is renewed interest in geothermal energy, driven mainly by improved geothermal systemswhich use techniques similar to hydraulic fracturing to artificially create geothermal conditions. Companies like Fervo gained prominence in the media by establishing partnerships with oil giants and supplying energy to Google’s data centers.
However, hidden geothermal systems may ultimately offer much greater potential. Unlike enhanced geothermal systems, they do not require artificial fracturing and rely on natural heat and water, reducing operational complexity, seismic risk and costs.
A landmark 2008 U.S. government report estimated that as-yet-undiscovered geothermal systems could provide about 30 gigawatts of electricity, which would be enough to power supply more than 25 million homes. But Faulds says these estimates could be off by “well over an order of magnitude,” suggesting that tens to hundreds of gigawatts could be waiting underground across the western United States.
