Technical

Srinivasa Reddy Kandi: Zanskar Says Conventional Geothermal Could Unlock a Terawatt of Untapped Clean Energy

January, 22, 2026-05:06

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Zanskar Says Conventional Geothermal Could Unlock a Terawatt of Untapped Clean Energy:

The energy stored beneath the Earth’s surface may hold far more potential than commonly estimated. While the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) projects that geothermal power could supply around 60 gigawatts, or nearly 10% of U.S. electricity, by 2050, Zanskar’s leadership believes that figure significantly understates what’s possible.

According to Carl Hoiland, co-founder and CEO of Zanskar, the DOE’s projections focus heavily on enhanced geothermal systems, which use fracking-style techniques to access deep, hot rock formations. Companies such as Fervo and Sage Geosystems are actively developing these technologies, and experts widely agree they offer major promise.

However, Hoiland argues that conventional geothermal, which taps into naturally occurring fractured hot rock systems, has been undervalued. In the United States, conventional geothermal currently produces only about 4 gigawatts of power, an increase of just one gigawatt over the past decade. He attributes this slow growth to outdated assumptions rather than technical limitations.

Hoiland contends that far more geothermal systems exist than previously believed and that modern drilling techniques can extract significantly greater output from each site. Taken together, these factors could transform conventional geothermal from a modest energy source into a terawatt-scale opportunity.

To unlock this potential, Zanskar is using artificial intelligence to identify and develop overlooked geothermal resources. The startup has already revived a struggling geothermal power plant in New Mexico and identified two additional sites with more than 100 megawatts of combined power potential, signaling a possible resurgence for conventional geothermal energy.

Author: Kandi Srinivasa Reddy, Srinivasa Reddy Kandi, #KandiSrinivasaReddy, #SrinivasaReddyKandi