A big boost for a climate solution: electricity made from the heat of the Earth

By JENNIFER McDERMOTT
Associated Press

One method of making electricity cleanly to address climate change has been quietly advancing and just hit a milestone. A California utility is backing the largest new geothermal power development in the U.S. — 400 megawatts of clean electricity from the Earth’s heat — enough for some 400,000 homes. Southern California Edison will purchase the cleanly-produced electricity from Fervo Energy, a Houston-based next-generation geothermal company. Fervo announced the deal Tuesday. Fervo is drilling up to 125 wells in southwest Utah. It’s by far the largest deal for a new generation of geothermal power, which engineers have been advancing for years so that traditional power plants that cause climate change can be closed down without a loss of needed, 24/7 electricity.