Google Agrees to Buy 396 MW of Geothermal Power for a Planned Utah Data Center

The agreement gives Fervo a defined customer for Cape Station while tying Google’s future data-center supply to a geothermal project still under construction.

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Google Agrees to Buy 396 MW of Geothermal Power for a Planned Utah Data Center
Google Agrees to Buy 396 MW of Geothermal Power for a Planned Utah Data Center

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Google has agreed to buy 396 megawatts of geothermal electricity from Fervo Energy’s Cape Station in Utah, for a planned data center. The deal also gives Google the option to purchase another 600 megawatts through June 2030. That makes the project a defined customer—and gives Google a large future power source—but the electricity depends on a facility still being built. Cape Station is permitted to reach as much as two gigawatts, though Google’s initial commitment is a smaller 396 megawatts. Fervo is building it beside Utah FORGE, a federal site used to test enhanced geothermal systems: methods for extracting heat from underground rock beyond conventional geothermal fields. The buildout is staged. Fervo says the first phase should deliver about 100 megawatts, with its first GeoBlock unit being commissioned ahead of planned commercial operation in the fourth quarter of 2026. Construction of a roughly 400-megawatt second phase began in the first quarter, with commercial operation planned for 2028. Fervo’s approach uses horizontal wells, distributed fiber-optic cables for seismic monitoring, and polycrystalline diamond compact drill bits intended to reduce drilling time. The agreement sits inside a broader Google-Fervo relationship, including a separate framework supporting up to three gigawatts of development through 2033. Google is also sourcing power elsewhere, including 933 megawatts of natural-gas generation in Texas from Crusoe. The key constraint is whether Cape Station can hit its construction and commissioning milestones on schedule.

Story brief

3 key points

Google is securing geothermal supply for a planned Utah data center as its power strategy expands beyond conventional sources. The agreement covers 396 MW from Fervo Energy’s Cape Station, with an option for 600 MW more through June 2030. Supply depends on a staged build: about 100 MW is targeted for commercial operation in Q4 2026, followed by a roughly 400-MW phase planned for 2028. The deal gives Fervo a major...

  1. 01

    Cape Station is permitted for up to 2 GW, but Google’s initial commitment is 396 MW.

  2. 02

    The plant sits beside Utah FORGE, a federal field site supporting enhanced-geothermal-systems research and demonstrations.

  3. 03

    Fervo’s approach combines horizontal wells, distributed fiber-optic seismic monitoring, and polycrystalline diamond compact drill bits.

Google has agreed to buy 396 megawatts of electricity from Fervo Energy’s Cape Station geothermal plant in Utah for a planned data center. Google also has an option to purchase another 600 MW through June 2030, from a project expected to come online in 2028.

A project built beside a federal test site

Cape Station was selected for the Energy Department’s Enhanced Geothermal Systems Pilot Demonstrations initiative. It sits beside Utah FORGE, a federal field site created to test and evaluate enhanced geothermal systems technologies and methods.

Methods Fervo has used in geothermal development

  • Horizontal enhanced-geothermal wells.
  • Distributed fiber-optic cable for seismic monitoring.
  • Polycrystalline diamond compact drill bits to reduce drilling time.

The purchase is attached to a staged buildout

Fervo said in June that Cape Station’s first phase was expected to deliver about 100 MW, with its first GeoBlock unit under commissioning ahead of planned commercial operation in the fourth quarter of 2026. The company said construction of the roughly 400-MW second phase began in the first quarter, with commercial operation planned for 2028.

The agreement at a glance
396 MWInitial purchase

Google agreed to purchase 396 MW from Cape Station for a planned Utah data center.

600 MWAdditional option

Google can choose to purchase an additional 600 MW from Fervo through June 2030.

Up to 2 GWPermitted site capacity

Fervo is permitted to develop up to 2 GW of geothermal energy at Cape Station.

A specific contract inside a broader power strategy

The companies have worked together for more than five years, including Google’s purchases of some of Fervo’s first electricity generation. Google also invested in Fervo’s most recent funding round before Fervo became publicly traded.

Fervo has also said it executed a separate framework agreement with Google supporting development of up to 3 GW through 2033. Google’s power sourcing is not limited to geothermal: it previously agreed to obtain 933 MW of natural-gas power in Texas from data-center developer Crusoe.

Editorial analysis

Our Read

Our read: The important shift is commercial. Google and Fervo already had a framework for up to 3 GW through 2033; this agreement attaches a defined buyer to a specific Cape Station project. That makes the 600-MW option more than upside for Fervo: it is a future test of whether a large data-center customer wants more output from the site. The next evidence to watch is Phase II’s progress toward its planned 2028 commercial operation, followed by any use of Google’s option before June 2030.

Sources

  1. techcrunch.comEnhanced geothermal notches another win as Google buys 400 MW from Fervo | TechCrunch
  2. energy.govFORGE: Creating Pathways for Geothermal
  3. ir.fervoenergy.comFervo Energy Reports First Quarter 2026 Results - Mon, 06/22/2026 - 07:00