NM Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham | governor.state.nm.us
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has announced a collaboration between XGS Energy and Meta to develop 150 megawatts of advanced geothermal energy in New Mexico. This partnership is intended to advance clean energy innovation, create jobs, and address the state's electricity needs with minimal water use.
“New Mexico is one of the nation’s leading sources of clean energy, and we’ve worked hard to ensure our state remains at the forefront of the energy transition,” said Gov. Lujan Grisham. “Today’s announcement demonstrates that geothermal is a promising new energy frontier in New Mexico. This partnership shows how our state can meet the demand of new industry with clean power.”
The project will employ XGS Energy's proprietary technology to generate geothermal electricity without using operating water, an important factor for arid regions like New Mexico. The electricity generated will power Meta's data center operations in New Mexico through the PNM electric grid.
“We’re pleased to support Meta’s ambitious AI objectives and accelerate access to new round-the-clock power supplies,” stated Josh Prueher, CEO of XGS Energy. “More broadly, the state of New Mexico is a growing hub for data center development. We are eager to feed clean, water-independent geothermal power into the New Mexico market at a scale uniquely possible with XGS technology.”
Meta views geothermal as an essential component of its expanding energy portfolio. Urvi Parekh, Global Head of Energy at Meta, remarked: “Advances in AI require continued energy to support infrastructure development. With next-generation geothermal technologies like XGS ready for scale, geothermal can be a major player in supporting the advancement of technologies like AI as well as domestic data center development."
The two-phase project aims to be fully operational by 2030, starting on a smaller scale before expanding to full capacity within New Mexico.
“We’re proud to support this innovative, carbon-free project from Meta and XGS Energy,” commented PNM President and CEO Don Tarry. “This project is a meaningful step toward meeting New Mexico’s clean energy goals and demonstrates the power of advanced technology to shape our energy future.”
This announcement aligns with "The Future of Geothermal in New Mexico," a report by Project InnerSpace highlighting over 160 gigawatts of untapped geothermal potential in the state.
