Geothermal Breakthrough in South Texas Signals New Era for Ercot
11 days ago
- #clean-energy
- #energy-storage
- #geothermal-energy
- Sage Geosystems and San Miguel Electric Cooperative built the world’s first pressure geothermal system in 12 months.
- The system is designed to provide long-duration, dispatchable storage for ERCOT, addressing variable generation and data center demand.
- San Miguel Electric Cooperative (SMECI) transitioned from a lignite power plant to cleaner resources, including geothermal, solar, and battery storage.
- The geothermal pilot, SMECI Well #1, leverages innovative design and oilfield expertise, achieving a 70–75% round-trip efficiency.
- Sage’s Pressure Geothermal System functions like pumped-storage hydropower but with an underground reservoir, minimizing water loss and fire hazards.
- The project is digitally automated to integrate with ERCOT, responding to grid signals and demand fluctuations in real time.
- Texas’s favorable policy and permitting environment enabled rapid project implementation, with geothermal wells permitted in weeks.
- Sage plans to expand its technology for energy storage, power generation, and district heating, targeting data centers and military installations.