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Sanborn Expands Geothermal Surveying for Clean Energy Growth

Sanborn Expands Geothermal Surveying to Accelerate Clean Energy Exploration in the United States By: Robert Buluma Introduction: A New Push Toward Subsurface Clarity The global energy transition is increasingly being shaped not just by how we generate electricity, but by how deeply we understand what lies beneath the Earth’s surface. In this context, geothermal energy has emerged as one of the most promising yet underutilized renewable resources. Unlike solar or wind, geothermal power offers constant baseload energy, independent of weather conditions or time of day. However, its development hinges on one critical factor: accurate subsurface data. In early May 2026, a significant development in this space was announced. Sanborn , through its subsidiary EDCON-PRJ, Inc., revealed an expansion of its geothermal surveying operations across the western United States. This move is not just a routine business expansion; it reflects a growing recognition that advanced geophysical mapping is ...
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Nichirei Geothermal PPA Drives Industrial Decarbonization in Japan

Nichirei Group’s Geothermal Power PPA in Kyushu: A Landmark Step Toward Industrial Decarbonization in Japan By: Robert Buluma   Introduction: A Quiet but Powerful Shift in Industrial Energy Use Japan’s energy transition is increasingly being shaped not just by large-scale national policies, but by practical corporate actions that directly reshape how electricity is generated and consumed. One of the most significant recent examples comes from the Nichirei Group, which has taken a major step toward decarbonizing its logistics and manufacturing operations in Kyushu through a geothermal-powered corporate Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). This initiative involves Nichirei Corporation, together with Kyushu Electric Power Company and Kyuden Mirai Energy, and marks one of the first large-scale uses of geothermal energy in an off-site PPA structure for the logistics and food manufacturing sector in Japan. The project covers 16 facilities across the Kyushu region, supplying renewable elect...
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Mazama vs Quaise: Superhot Geothermal Technology Comparison Guide

The Race to the Earth’s Core: A Superhot Geothermal Showdown By: Robert Buluma After half a century of being confined to geologically unique hotspots, geothermal energy is finally going global. At the heart of this revolution are two very different companies. Mazama Energy and Quaise Energy are both racing to do something that has never been done before: create a commercially viable, superhot rock (SHR) geothermal power plant. But while their destination is the same, their maps for getting there could not be more different. Mazama is taking the most advanced version of the oil and gas industry’s playbook and running it at record temperatures. Quaise is throwing that playbook away entirely and betting on a new kind of drill powered by fusion-grade technology. This is a head-to-head comparison of their technologies, their timelines, and their ultimate potential to reshape our energy landscape. Part 1: Mazama Energy – The Record‑Breaking Reservoir Creator Mazama is not a newcomer to the g...
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Kenya Suspends Microsoft G42 Data Center Over Energy Crisis

Kenya Halts $1B Microsoft–G42 Data Center as Power Limits Stall AI Ambitions By: Robert Buluma Introduction In May 2024, during a high-profile visit by President William Ruto to Washington, D.C., Kenya unveiled a bold digital leap forward. In partnership with Microsoft and UAE-based AI firm G42 , the country announced a $1 billion investment anchored on a geothermal-powered hyperscale data center in Olkaria . The vision was transformative: establish East Africa’s first Azure cloud region, unlock AI innovation—including Swahili-language models—and cement Kenya’s status as Africa’s digital gateway. But by May 2026, that vision has hit a wall. The project is now effectively suspended, with one central issue standing in the way—power. As President Ruto bluntly put it, a single hyperscale data center could require up to 1,000 MW, nearly a third of Kenya’s total installed capacity. The implication was stark: powering it could mean depriving millions of electricity. This is no ordinary...
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Lithium France KIT Advance Induced Seismicity Geothermal Research

Turning the Earth into Insight: Lithium de France & KIT Pioneer Induced Seismicity Research in Europe’s Geothermal Frontier By: Robert Buluma Introduction: When Energy Meets the Deep Unknown Deep beneath our feet lies a paradox—immense energy potential intertwined with geological uncertainty. As the global race toward clean, reliable, and locally sourced energy accelerates, geothermal systems have emerged as one of the most promising solutions. Yet, unlocking this energy—especially in complex geological formations—comes with challenges, one of the most critical being induced seismicity . In a bold and forward-looking move, Lithium de France has partnered with the Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT) to deepen scientific understanding and monitoring of induced seismicity in the Upper Rhine Graben, one of Europe’s most geothermally active regions. This collaboration is not just a technical endeavor—it is a defining moment in how science, industry, and innovation converge to m...
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The XGS Energy Heat Sponge Solves Geothermal's Biggest Problem

The XGS Energy Heat Sponge Solves Geothermal's Biggest Problem I mage: A californian XGS well pad Imagine drilling a hole into the Earth’s hot crust  but instead of simply dropping in a pipe and hoping for the best, you paint the inside of that hole with a magic material that soaks up heat like a sponge soaks up water. Then you seal it, circulate a fluid, and generate clean, firm electricity  24/7, no fracking, no water consumption, no earthquakes. That’s not science fiction. That’s XGS Energy . While most of the geothermal world has been chasing fracked reservoirs or massive drilling rigs, XGS quietly built a prototype, ran it for over 3,000 hours in one of the harshest geothermal environments on Earth, and landed a 150 MW deal with Meta – enough to power tens of thousands of homes or a massive data center campus. This is the story of a technology that might be the most elegant, low-risk, and capital-efficient path to scalable geothermal power. Let’s dig in. Part 1: The Pro...
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