Next-generation geothermal will soon power Southern California’s grid

California already gets some of its clean electricity from geothermal power plants, which harness the heat and steam found naturally near the earth’s surface. Now, the state is poised to add hundreds more megawatts of geothermal to its overall energy mix — only instead of drawing from local geysers and hot springs, the power will come from a cutting-edge project in Utah.

On Tuesday, Fervo Energy announced that it secured power purchase agreements with the utility giant Southern California Edison (SCE). The geothermal startup uses oil-and-gas drilling techniques to tap heat from deep underground. Fervo began construction last fall on an ​“enhanced geothermal” project in Beaver County, Utah, which is expected to generate nearly 400 MW of around-the-clock electricity when it reaches full production in 2028.

Fervo has also struck a deal to sell another 53 MW of power from the project to California community choice aggregators — meaning Cape Station’s full clean electricity capacity is all but sold out.