Meta Platforms announced an agreement to support development of 150 megawatts of next-generation geothermal energy in New Mexico.

The tech company will partner with XGS Energy because XGS Energy’s proprietary geothermal technology enables geothermal power production with zero operating water use.

The geothermal power will be deployed to the PNM electric grid and support Meta’s data center operations in New Mexico, demonstrating that energy demand can be met with clean, water-independent baseload power.

XGS’s decoupling of geothermal energy production from historical location-based constraints such as water availability or permeable or porous rock opens new frontiers for geothermal energy development. XGS’s geographic flexibility enables direct production of electricity from hot, but typically dry, rock resources.

With this project alone, XGS is positioned to increase the total geothermal electricity produced in New Mexico by a factor of 10. A new report, “The Future of Geothermal in New Mexico,” by Project InnerSpace, New Mexico Tech, and the New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources identifies over 160 GW of untapped geothermal potential in the state.

“Advances in AI require continued energy to support infrastructure development,” said Urvi Parekh, Global Head of Energy at Meta, in a statement. “With next-generation geothermal technologies like XGS ready for scale, geothermal can be a major player in supporting the advancement of technologies like AI as well as domestic data center development. We’re excited to partner with XGS to unlock a new category of energy supply for our operations in New Mexico.”

The two-phased 150-MW agreement will include an initial smaller phase and a second, larger phase, both projected to be operational by 2030. Both phases will be sited in New Mexico on the PNM electric grid.