The sun beneath our feet: the growing case for geothermal

Geothermal’s time has come. The heat from the earth may be the world’s most overlooked energy source – but not for much longer. A compelling combination of growing demand and improving supply means that there could be a 20x jump in geothermal energy production over the next 25 years. By 2050, geothermal may be generating 10% of our electricity needs. Advancements in drilling technologies mean that geothermal is becoming increasingly available. Given that the energy source is virtually unlimited, releases few emissions and occupies just a fraction of the space required by other sources, geothermal represents a perfect source for baseload energy. It can help fulfil AI-driven data demand and pave the way for countries to increase their energy independence. If growth projections are correct, then the industry could see $1tr of cumulative investments in the next decade. There are few listed pure-play businesses currently, but VC interest in the space is significant, while existing oil and gas businesses (and their supply chains) are also getting actively involved.