Cracking Geothermal Growth
The hosts:
David Babson, XPRIZE Foundation
Jamie Beard, Project InnerSpace
What is this Ripple about?
Geothermal is renewable, reliable, and clean, but broader deployment is constrained because surface systems remain too bespoke, expensive, and slow to scale. Unlocking a transition toward more modular, efficient, and rapidly deployable geothermal systems is essential if geothermal is going to move from a niche resource to a globally scalable source of firm clean energy.
Why this topic timely or urgent in 2026
Rising electricity demand from AI and data centers is one driver, but the urgency is broader: countries and industries are increasingly seeking non-fossil energy systems that are less exposed to geopolitical shocks and can deliver cleaner, lower-cost, always-on power. Geothermal could play that role at a massive scale, but only if we solve today’s deployment bottlenecks in manufacturability, integration, and speed to power.
Key questions or challenges being explored
How do we accelerate the shift from bespoke geothermal surface plants to modular, repeatable systems that can be deployed much faster and at lower cost?
What kinds of market signals, advanced commitments, and financing structures are needed to justify investment in the next generation of geothermal systems?
What partnerships across developers, manufacturers, investors, and policymakers are needed to build a durable market and scalable supply chain for geothermal growth?
The key tension or debate at the heart of this discussion
Perfect is the enemy of the good: Chasing peak efficiency hinders wide-scale progress.
Who would get the most value from attending this Ripple?
Infrastructure and climate investors, geothermal developers, turbo-machinery and surface system manufacturers, policymakers, and anyone interested in building resilient clean energy supply chains and faster pathways to firm, scalable, non-fossil power.