Nevada’s Green Power Shift: Ormat, NV Energy, and Google Tap Into Geothermal for Tech’s Future
A massive new energy deal is set to cement Nevada’s status as a geothermal powerhouse, bringing a significant boost of clean, reliable electricity to the state’s grid. Renewable energy major Ormat Technologies has inked a long-term agreement with NV Energy, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, to supply up to 150 megawatts of geothermal power, specifically designated to support Google’s rapidly expanding operations in the Silver State.
This isn’t just a standard power purchase agreement; it’s a strategic move to future-proof the energy needs of the technology sector. The contract is designed to provide what energy experts call “clean-firm” power, meaning it is both carbon-free and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. That consistency is a crucial advantage over intermittent sources like wind and solar, making it the perfect fit for power-hungry facilities like Google’s data centers.
The urgency behind this transition is clear. The explosion of new technologies, particularly generative artificial intelligence, is causing electricity demand across the tech industry to skyrocket. Data centers, which form the backbone of cloud computing and AI, require vast and uninterrupted supplies of power. This new partnership directly addresses that challenge.
The 150 MW geothermal capacity will be developed across a series of new Ormat projects throughout Nevada, a state that already generates approximately 10 percent of its electricity from geothermal sources, giving it the highest percentage in the nation. The first of these new plants is expected to come online as early as 2028, with the full portfolio planned for completion by 2030. Once operational, the power purchase agreement will extend for 15 years beyond the final project’s commercial operation date, providing long-term energy stability.
A key aspect of this groundbreaking collaboration is the financial structure enabling it: NV Energy’s innovative Clean Transition Tariff, or CTT. This new commercial model creates a scalable pathway for utilities to partner with large corporate customers like Google, allowing the necessary investments in advanced clean technologies to be made while ensuring that the costs are fully covered by the participating customer. The goal is to avoid placing any financial burden on other NV Energy ratepayers, a structure that company leaders hope can become a blueprint for other U.S. electricity markets.
For Google, this agreement is another step toward its ambitious global goal of powering all its data centers and office campuses with carbon-free energy 24/7 by 2030. For Ormat, it strengthens their position as a leader in geothermal development, while for Nevada, it reinforces the state’s role as a proving ground for the next generation of reliable, baseload clean energy. The deal is currently pending review and approval by the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada, an endorsement expected to come in the second half of 2026.