Cindy Taff, a former vice president at Shell in Houston, faced questions from her daughter Brianna about the future of the oil and gas industry and why Shell wasn’t transitioning to cleaner energy sources. Taff, who oversaw drilling unconventional wells at Shell, had a passion for geothermal energy but was unable to pursue it within the company due to investment timelines. Eventually, Taff left her 36-year career at Shell to become the chief operating officer at Sage Geosystems, a geothermal company founded by her former colleagues.
Brianna, inspired by her mother’s career shift, joined Sage as an operations engineer and spokesperson. The United States, despite leading in geothermal electricity production, has this energy source accounting for less than half a percent of the nation’s total large-scale generation. Geothermal projects like those undertaken by Sage could potentially supply 90 gigawatts by 2050, sufficient to power millions of homes. Private investments are crucial for the expansion of geothermal energy into regions where it was previously deemed unfeasible.
Sage’s main technologies involve converting heat into electricity by fracturing hot rock and pumping water to the surface to spin turbines. In a groundbreaking discovery, they found that their technology could also be utilized for energy storage. This innovation could revolutionize energy storage by storing excess energy from solar and wind farms underground for later use. Taff has been actively engaging with policymakers and key stakeholders to promote the potential of geothermal energy and has attended climate talks to advocate for cleaner energy solutions.
Sage has secured $30 million in funding and is embarking on various geothermal projects, including an energy storage system in Texas and partnerships for clean electricity in Romania and California. The company is also working on developing a more efficient turbine for electricity conversion. Taff emphasizes the importance of making geothermal energy both clean and cost-effective for widespread adoption. She foresees geothermal energy playing a significant role in enhancing the stability and cleanliness of the electrical grid and is optimistic about the transformative impact of this renewable energy source.