Skip to main content

Sage and SMECI Partner For 3MW Geothermal Storage Facility

Sage Geosystems Inc. and San Miguel Electric Cooperative: A Revolutionary Partnership in Geothermal Energy Storage

By:Robert Buluma

In a groundbreaking move that could redefine the future of sustainable energy, Sage Geosystems Inc. has announced its partnership with San Miguel Electric Cooperative, Inc. (SMECI) to build the world’s first Geopressured Geothermal System (GGS) in Christine, Texas. This 3MW EarthStore™ energy storage facility is poised to make history as it becomes the first of its kind to supply geothermal energy storage to the ERCOT grid, marking a significant advancement in the quest for reliable, renewable energy.

A New Era of Energy Storage

The significance of this project cannot be overstated. As renewable energy sources like wind and solar continue to expand, the need for dependable, long-duration energy storage solutions becomes increasingly urgent. Sage’s EarthStore™ technology answers this call, offering a revolutionary system that taps into the earth’s natural capacity for energy storage. This is more than just an energy storage facility—it's a beacon of hope for a future where energy is both sustainable and dependable.

What sets Sage’s EarthStore™ apart is its ability to store potential energy deep within the earth, ensuring a steady and reliable supply of electricity to the grid, regardless of weather conditions. Unlike traditional storage systems that rely on lithium-ion batteries, EarthStore™ offers long-duration storage with targeted durations of 6 to 10 hours and a round-trip efficiency of 70-75%. This system is designed to work in harmony with wind and solar power, providing a stable and dispatchable energy source that could revolutionize how we think about renewable energy.

The Power of Partnership

The collaboration between Sage Geosystems and San Miguel Electric Cooperative is a testament to the power of innovative partnerships in driving the energy transition forward. Craig Courter, CEO of SMECI, emphasized the importance of this project for the ERCOT utility grid, which increasingly relies on intermittent renewable energy sources. "We are excited to be part of this innovative project that showcases the potential of geothermal energy storage," Courter stated.

The strategic location of the EarthStore™ facility near SMECI’s lignite coal power plant in Christine, Texas, highlights the potential for geothermal energy to complement existing energy infrastructure, paving the way for a more resilient and sustainable energy future.

A Glimpse into the Future

As Sage Geosystems prepares to launch the EarthStore™ facility later this year, the energy industry watches with bated breath. This project is not just about energy storage; it’s about demonstrating the untapped potential of geothermal energy as a viable and scalable solution for long-duration energy storage.

With plans to apply for additional drilling permits in Texas, including one in Atascosa County for the EarthStore™ facility and another in Starr County, Sage Geosystems is positioning itself as a leader in the geothermal energy sector. The company’s expertise, honed by over 150 combined years in the oil and gas industry, is now being channeled into pioneering sustainable energy solutions that could very well shape the future of global energy.

The Road Ahead

As the world shifts towards a cleaner energy landscape, the partnership between Sage Geosystems and San Miguel Electric Cooperative is a powerful reminder of the possibilities that lie ahead. The EarthStore™ facility in Christine, Texas, is more than just a project—it’s a symbol of innovation, resilience, and the relentless pursuit of a sustainable future.

Source:Sage Geosystems , BUSINESS wire

Connect With Us: Linkedin ,X




Advertise With Us to make Your brand reach a global Visibility by contacting +25701279086 or mail alphaxiomsgeothermal@gmail.com

On February we reported on how 

Comments

Hot Topics 🔥

Amsterdam Strikes Geothermal Gold: Hot, Thick, Permeable Reservoir Confirmed

Breakthrough Beneath the Beach: Amsterdam Region Hits Geothermal Paydirt at Strandeiland By: Robert Buluma The Netherlands just took a giant leap toward fossil-free heating. On the artificial island of Strandeiland (part of Amsterdam’s fast-growing IJburg district), the SCAN exploration well has officially confirmed what the geothermal community has been hoping for: a thick, hot, and , most importantly permeable reservoir in the Slochteren Formation. Key numbers that matter:   Reservoir thickness: 152 meters   Bottom-hole temperature: 66 °C   Permeability: confirmed via successful production and injection tests   That’s not screaming-hot by Icelandic standards, but for direct-use district heating in one of Europe’s densest urban areas, 66 °C is more than enough to supply thousands of homes with clean, baseload heat – forever. Why This Well Changes Everything for the Netherlands The Dutch government launched the SCAN program (Seismic Campaign Nethe...

Zanskar’s Big Blind: First Blind Geothermal Discovery in 30 Years

Big Blind: The Geothermal Discovery That Changes Everything By: Robert Buluma Utah startup  Zanskar Geothermal quietly dropped one of the most important announcements in American energy in decades. They discovered and confirmed “Big Blind” ,the first completely blind, commercial-grade geothermal system found in the United States in over thirty years. Let that sink in. No hot springs.   No fumaroles.   No steaming ground.   No prior wells.   Zero surface expression whatsoever. Just desert, sagebrush, and – 7,000 feet below,  a reservoir hot enough and permeable enough to support gigawatt-scale power production. This isn’t incremental progress. This is a paradigm breaker. Why “Blind” Discoveries Matter So Much For the last 40 years, geothermal development in the U.S. has been geographically handcuffed. You could only build plants where nature advertised the resource on the surface – think Yellowstone, The Geysers, or Imperial Valley. Ever...

Geothermal-Powered Greenhouses: Qingyun County's Leap Toward Sustainable, Year-Round Agriculture in Shandong

Harnessing Geothermal Energy to Power Modern Agriculture: How Qingyun County Is Redefining Sustainable Food Production in Shandong By:  Robert Bulum a As winter tightens its grip across northern China, most agricultural regions brace for declining productivity, rising energy costs, and increased environmental pressure. Yet in Qingyun County, located in China’s eastern Shandong Province, a different story is unfolding,one where geothermal energy is quietly transforming agriculture into a resilient, low-carbon, high-yield enterprise. At the heart of this transformation lies the Shandong Shuifa Aerospace Modern Agriculture Industrial Park, where geothermal energy has become a critical enabler of year-round food production, economic efficiency, and environmental sustainability. A Warm Oasis in the Depth of Winter Shortly after the Minor Snow solar term, temperatures outside the greenhouses in Qingyun County drop sharply. Inside the intelligent greenhouse complex, however, conditions re...

13 States Launch Initiative to Accelerate Geothermal Power Development

NASEO Launches Multistate Geothermal Power Accelerator: A Major Step Toward Clean, Reliable Energy By:  Robert Buluma In a significant boost for America's clean energy future, the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) announced on December 18, 2025, the launch of the NASEO Geothermal Power Accelerator. This collaborative initiative brings together 13 states to fast-track the development of geothermal power in partnership with the private sector. Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Geothermal Technologies Office and NASEO itself, the Accelerator aims to unlock the vast potential of geothermal energy a reliable, firm, and flexible source of clean power available around the clock. The participating states are Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Louisiana, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, and West Virginia. These diverse regions, spanning traditional geothermal hotspots in the West to emerging opportunities in the East, will wo...

Potsdam Goes Deep: How an All-Electric Drilling Rig Is Turning the City’s Heating Completely Fossil-Free

Revolutionizing Urban Heating: UGS GmbH's Pioneering Geothermal Project in Potsdam By: Robert Buluma In the heart of Germany’s energy transition, a quiet but powerful revolution is taking place in Potsdam. UGS GmbH, a German subsidiary of the French energy storage specialist Geostock, has begun a landmark geothermal project that could redefine how entire cities stay warm in winter ,without burning a single drop of oil or cubic meter of gas. The project, awarded by the local utility Energie und Wasser Potsdam GmbH (EWP), focuses on the former site of the HKW Süd combined heat and power plant in southern Potsdam. The goal is ambitious: replace the aging gas-fired plant with deep geothermal energy and other renewables, eventually supplying tens of thousands of households with completely CO₂-free district heating. At the center of this transformation stands a piece of machinery that looks like something from the future: UGS’s fully modernized, all-electric drilling rig “Rig 110”. After...

Eavor’s Geretsried Closed-Loop Geothermal Plant Now Powers the Grid

Eavor Technologies Achieves Historic Milestone: World’s First Commercial-Scale Closed-Loop Geothermal System Now Delivering Power in Geretsried, Germany Published: December 2025 By:  Robert Buluma The Day Geothermal Changed Forever On a crisp Bavarian morning in late 2025, a quiet revolution in clean energy officially went live.   Eavor Technologies Inc ., the Calgary-based pioneer of closed-loop geothermal technology, announced that its flagship commercial project in Geretsried, Germany has begun delivering power to the grid becoming the world’s first utility-scale multilateral closed-loop geothermal system to achieve commercial operation. For anyone who has followed the geothermal sector for the last decade, this is nothing short of seismic (pun intended). What Makes Eavor’s Closed-Loop System Truly Disruptive? Traditional geothermal plants rely on naturally occurring hot water reservoirs or enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) that require hydraulic fracturing and massiv...

Germany Unveils Groundbreaking KfW–Munich Re Program to De-Risk Deep Geothermal Heat Projects

Germany Launches Landmark Financing Program to Accelerate Deep Geothermal Heat Projects By: Robert Buluma Germany has taken a decisive step toward securing a climate-neutral heat future. On December 18, 2025, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWK), KfW Development Bank , and global reinsurer Munich Re officially launched a groundbreaking funding program designed to unlock large-scale investments in deep geothermal energy for municipal and industrial heat supply. The new initiative, known as the KfW Geothermal Promotional Loan (KfW-Förderkredit Geothermie), directly addresses one of the most persistent bottlenecks in geothermal development: the high financial risk associated with drilling deep geothermal wells. By combining low-interest loans with comprehensive risk coverage, the program is set to significantly accelerate geothermal deployment across Germany. Why Deep Geothermal Matters for Germany’s Heat Transition While Germany has made remarkable progre...

Powering Sweet Success: Taiwan Fructose's Geothermal Energy Partnership in the Philippines

A Sweet Transition: How Taiwan Fructose is Powering Philippine Manufacturing with Clean Geothermal Energy By:  Robert Buluma In a world increasingly focused on sustainability, some partnerships stand out as truly inspiring. One such collaboration is between Taiwan Fructose Co. Ltd.'s Philippine subsidiary and First Gen Corporation , which has teamed up to supply the company's Batangas production facility with clean geothermal energy. This innovative agreement not only ensures reliable power for manufacturing sweeteners but also marks a significant step toward decarbonizing industrial operations in the Philippines. It's a perfect example of how renewable energy can sweeten the deal for both business and the environment. The partnership was recently announced, allowing Taiwan Fructose (Philippines) — a leading global supplier of high-quality sweeteners — to draw electricity directly from First Gen-EDC's Bacon-Manito (Bac-Man) geothermal complex located in the Bicol regio...

Vulcan Energy's G-LEP Plant in Landau Paves the Way for Europe's Sustainable Lithium Revolution

Breaking Ground: Vulcan Energy's G-LEP Plant in Landau Paves the Way for Europe's Sustainable Lithium Revolution By: Robert Buluma In the heart of Germany's Rhineland-Palatinate region, a groundbreaking ceremony marked the laying of the foundation stone for the first optimized Geothermal and Lithium Extraction Plant (G-LEP) in Landau, spearheaded by Vulcan Energy Resources, an Australian-German company. As Petra Dick-Walther, State Secretary in the Ministry for Climate Protection, Environment, Energy, and Mobility of Rhineland-Palatinate, described in her recent social media post, this project represents a "quantum leap into the future." It enables the simultaneous extraction of climate-neutral lithium and generation of renewable energy from the hot thermal beds of the Upper Rhine Graben, opening new avenues for Germany's energy transition, supply security, and Europe's sovereignty over critical resources. Lithium, a key component in batteries for electri...

Chevron’s Big Pivot: Betting Billions on Geothermal and Biofuels

Chevron CEO Sees Growing Potential in Biofuels and Geothermal Energy Posted by  Robert Buluma | December 11, 2025 The energy world is changing fast, and Chevron, one of the oldest and largest oil companies on the planet, is not sitting on the sidelines. In a recent wide-ranging interview with The Wall Street Journal, Chevron CEO Mike Wirth made it clear: the company sees major, long-term growth in two areas that have nothing to do with crude oil,biofuels and geothermal energy. For a company built on drilling for hydrocarbons, this pivot toward heat from the Earth’s core and fuels grown from plants is nothing short of remarkable. From Black Gold to Green Heat: Why Chevron Is Betting Big on Geothermal Geothermal energy has long been the quiet, reliable cousin in the renewable family,always there, rarely flashy, but suddenly very attractive. Unlike solar panels that go dark at night or wind turbines that stop when the air is still, geothermal plants deliver steady, 24/7 baseload p...